The Real Podium Family
by WinglessCrows
Summary: "What colour do you want your birthday present," Yuuri teases, "How about silver to match what I got you in Barcelona?" "I'm pretty sure you gave me a shiny golden engagement ring, love," Viktor replies. -Follow Yuuri and Viktor as they go through competitions, starting from Viktor's comeback to the end of the Olympic season.
1. Nationals

**So this website doesn't allow me to link to videos and such, but I will try my best to point you towards some reference for music and whatnot, if need be. For YoI fans who aren't too familiar with figure skating, I will post a fun fact at the top of every chapter, which can help give some insight in either the chapter or a following chapter. Because I am a big skating fan myself, my love for the sport might sometimes get the better of me, so if I ever introduce a concept you don't understand, don't shy away from asking. I hope to convert at least one of you into the world of figure skating.**

 **Fact of the Chapter: The amount of skaters of one nation which can participate at the main events, like a world championship, is determined by how skaters placed in the previous year.**

* * *

 **Yuuri**

The Japanese and Russian National Championships take place at the same time. They knew that, but that doesn't mean they necessarily like it. However, with one of them having completely bombed their previous Nationals and the other one not having competed at all in this season, unfortunately, they can't really afford to skip it. Yuuri might have been able to get away with it, but there is some pride that needs to be restored. He can't really be known as Japan's Ace if he can't even win his national title back. So with a somewhat messy schedule hastily made, Viktor and Yuuri board different planes at Barcelona's airport.

Japan has always been considered one of the great figure skating nations, and when Yuuri first entered Junior Competitions, Japan had top ranking skaters in the men's field. In Yuuri's second year as a Junior, the World Champion was Japanese. Viktor had placed third that year. Yuuri remembers it well, because he wanted to be one of those Japanese skaters who could compete at equal ground with his idol. Around the time Yuuri moved to Detroit, the highest ranking Japanese skater didn't even make the top ten. At Yuuri's first World Championships, he had finished seventeenth, fifteen spots beneath silver medalist Viktor Nikiforov.

After that Japan had been sending only one or two skaters to Worlds every year. Yuuri always found a way to blame himself whenever Japan lost a spot. With the men's field slowly losing high-quality skaters, Yuuri became the only one to stand out. He was always the first pick for Worlds, even if he only placed second at Nationals, and it made Yuuri feel like he had never earned the title of Japan's Ace as much as it had been thrust upon him when they had no one else to turn to. When Yuuri had failed in Sochi, he had thought that was the end of it. They'd give his title to whoever won Nationals. Now, a season later, with a shiny silver medal and a world record under his belt, Yuuri is ready to blow his competition out of the rink and prove himself worthy of leading men's figure skating in Japan.

Yuuri has about two weeks in Hasetsu to prepare for his Nationals. They go by fast and before Yuuri can think too much about it, which in his case is a blessing, he has about ten minutes before the last group takes the ice for their six minute warm up. The short program is up, and Yuuri has no Viktor to perform for. He does have a phone though, and Viktor is sitting in his hotelroom watching Yuuri's Nationals on his laptop.

"Watch me," Yuuri says, almost whispers, to Viktor, as if he isn't thousands of kilometers away from him, "Don't take you eyes off me."

"I won't," Viktor whispers back, and Yuuri closes his eyes and pretends he's there with him, "I'm always watching you."

Yuuri is first after the warm-up. He hates going first, but at least he gets to skate before the nerves hit him. Yuuri focuses on a camera, and makes sure that even when they're apart, the world knows that Viktor belongs to him. The music starts and he blows the camera a kiss.

When the Grand Prix Final was over and they knew they wouldn't see each other for a while, they set up a game plan. They studied Yuuri's programs, compared them to the judges scores and evaluated what needed to be changed. What stood out about Yuuri's short program was not the unsuccessful quad flip (although the line of -2's on the scoresheet made Yuuri want to punch something), but his surprisingly low program component scores. While transitions had always been Yuuri's weakness in the components, he had always gotten high marks for interpretation and skating skills. Hell, even before Sochi, Yuuri had been the skater with the highest mark earned in interpretation (yes, even higher than the living legend himself), but the glaring 8.45 for interpretation was probably the part that stung the most.

Yuuri was used his component scores never falling below 9, and to have his best feature suddenly be awarded the lowest score, well, Yuuri was clearly not happy. Coach Nikiforov wasn't either. So they made adjustments. Yuuri's goal at Nationals was to win and nothing else. Yuuri might hate compromises, but he hates losing even more. In order for Yuuri to focus on the program, he makes his last jump a triple flip. The nice '10' Yuuri receives for his interpretation this time is enough to make up for that fact that he only has one quad in the short program.

Yuuri skates the free program on Christmas Eve. It's the day before Viktor's birthday, and Yuuri supposes that there is no better gift than that shiny gold medal that's just within his grasp. Yuuri is over 20 points ahead of second place after the short program, so unless he pops all of his jumps, he's sure he'll be alright. He calls Viktor again.

"What colour do you want your birthday present," Yuuri teases, "How about silver to match what I got you in Barcelona?"

"I'm pretty sure you gave me a shiny golden engagement ring, love," Viktor replies, and Yuuri knows that Viktor is looking at their ring. Yuuri finds himself doing the same.

"Gold it is then. Just remember I gave you a choice, so you can't exchange it if you realize you don't like the colour."

"Oh, I'm sure I will love it."

When Yuuri wins gold he takes two picture. The first one is of him, silver medalist Takuya, and bronze medalist Minami, standing close together at the podium posing with the medals. Yuuri makes good use of the selfie skills Phichit has taught him over the years. It gets posted on his (almost) dead instagram and Phichit is the first to like it. Thousands follow him.

The second one is taken from Yuuri's hotel room. In the picture Yuuri is kissing his gold medal as he looks seductively at the camera. This one he sends to Viktor with the caption: _I think you owe me a kiss x._

It doesn't take long for Viktor to call him

Yuuri skates Stammi Vicino by himself at the exhibition. He imagines Viktor is there with him and he can't wait until they can skate together again.

* * *

 **Viktor**

Choreographing two programs in two weeks is not impossible for the living legend. Getting new music made, making a program that utilizes said music, while also having it be competitive with skaters from all over the world (and more immediately, the new reigning Grand Prix Final Champion), all while maintaining his image of a skater who always surprises, well, that's a bit of a tall order. Viktor supposes he will have to figure out what he wants to skate about first and then the rest will just have to follow.

Making his short program about love would be predictable. Viktor knows this because that's what the internet says. He made _Eros_ and _Agape_ , and it would only make sense for him to skate to something like that too. Afterall, Yuuri and Yurio are his protegées, and it's not like Viktor has been silent about his love life recently. No, it only makes sense if Viktor makes love the theme of his short program, or perhaps even his theme of the year (It would be rather romantic). But Viktor Nikiforov is known for always surprising his audience, and while skating a short program to mirror Yuuri's is highly appealing to the romantic inside him, he has another idea in mind.

Viktor didn't just fall in love with Yuuri this past year, no, Viktor fell in love with a lot of things. Viktor fell in love with the quiet nature that was only a ten minute walk away from the Katsuki residence. The forest that stretched further than Viktor had dared to explore, but always came back to. The waterfall Yuuri had showed him the first time they'd decided to go running in the woods. The beach where Viktor would often take Makkachin on their morning walks. The beach where Viktor had finally realized that no matter what happened, Yuuri would always be the one.

Viktor fell in love with Hasetsu. The people, the town, the ninja castle that somehow still remained one of his most liked pictures on instagram. Viktor probably knew the names of more people in this little seaside town than of people in the entirety of Russia. The old man, Katsumi, who was always fishing by the bridge. The woman running the bakery, Kaya, whose daughter had just turned two. The chef, Hisato, who made the best ramen Viktor had ever tasted. Minako, who taught ballet in the day and ran a bar at night. The Nishigoris who ran the ice rink. The Katsukis who owned the hot springs and took Viktor in as one of their own.

Viktor fell in love with Japan, and that was what his short program would be about. With no time to waste, Viktor pulled up a playlist with his favorite Japanese music (all recommended to him by Yuuri one rainy day in July, where it had been too hot and wet to go outside), and began imagining what he could do with it. What he could show with it. When his plane landed in St. Petersburg, Viktor had his music.

Viktor wasn't dumb. He knew that even if he had been on the ice just as much as Yuuri in these past eight months, he had not gone through the same vigorous training, and while he was by no means out of shape (Viktor had lost count at how many times Yuuri had told him to show him the quad of the day just one more time ), he was definitely not ready to do a two-quad short program and then a four-quad program roughly 24 hours later.

Viktor had once told Yuuri that it was possible to win with only one quad in the free, if only you got perfect component scores. Disregarding the fact that that had never been done before, Viktor knew that programs as new as his would not be getting the component scores they could possibly get in the future, even if this was the Russian Nationals. So if Viktor can't win with one quad, maybe he can with two. Viktor has not had a planned two-quad free skate in over five years, but in this crazy quad era, maybe it's time for Viktor to surprise everyone by showing that you don't need them.

Viktor can't help himself from making his free skate about Yuuri. He'll have to live with being predictable just this once. The music he commissions is a simple piano and violin piece. It matches Yuuri's free skate, and Viktor makes it about a dance between two lovers. In the beginning only the piano is heard. It's slow, but inviting. The violin joins in and gives the piano a direction, and they slowly balance each other out and dance together like they were always meant to. Viktor calls the piece _Passacaille in Barcelona_.

Viktor doesn't tell Yuuri about his programs. He wants them to be revealed to Yuuri and the world when he skates them at Nationals. It could be considered controversial. Viktor's first competition of the season is in his home country and he decides to dedicate his skating to Japan, to Yuuri, to everything that is not Russian. Viktor doesn't care. His love is more important.

It's unsurprising that Viktor is in second after the short program. What is surprising is the small point gap between himself and Yurio. With only one quad in the short program, going clean is almost a guarantee for Viktor, and his always high components put him a couple of points over the 100 mark. It's more than 10 points below his personal best, but he's still in warm up mode. He'll take what he can get. Yurio, on the other hand, is still recovering from the Finals. Viktor knows that Yurio has reverted back to his original jump layout for both the short and the free, but that doesn't stop him from taking a hard fall after his combination jump, and consequently loses focus for the rest of the program. He is nowhere near the record he set in Barcelona and the anger on his face shows even before he gets his score.

"You should be asleep", Viktor says when Yuuri calls. It's midnight in Yuuri's time zone. His short program is less than a day away.

"How could I sleep after watching that program," Yuuri answers halfway between excited and overly emotional. Viktor is sure there are tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

"Did you like it?" Viktor asks. It's a stupid question. Viktor knows exactly how Yuuri feels about it.

"I loved it. I love you." Yuuri replies and now Viktor wants to cry.

"I love you too."

The free skate for men's singles at the Russian Nationals is a downright mess. Not a single clean performance (much to the annoyance of Yakov who has quite a few skaters here). When it comes down to the final group, there was an expectation that at least one of them would skate clean. Georgi opens up the final group by popping his first jump. Viktor and Yurio are the last to skate. About halfway through Viktor's performance, he thinks he's going to do it. The first clean program of the evening will be his to claim. He falls on his triple loop and curses that particular jump to hell and back. He still puts up a good score, but he's almost certain Yurio will take gold now.

After all his years in competitive figure skating, Viktor should know better than to predict someone's victory even before they have skated. When Yurio falls on his quad salchow, Viktor knows he is off his game. Yurio easily has the best quad salchow in men's figure skating, and when he can't land it, he gets distracted. He falls another two times in his program and only takes silver because of the huge point gap between him and Georgi after the short program. Viktor finds it surprising that he just claimed his twelfth straight Russian title. Who even does that?

"You, apparently," Yuuri says over the phone when he calls after the victory ceremony. Viktor is supposed to get ready for a press conference, but it's important for him to hear Yuuri's voice. All the journalists can wait.

"It's just such an odd number," Viktor responds as if there is a rule that once you hit five or ten, you really can't go further.

"I'm pretty sure that's not how it works," Yuuri says between yawns. Once again Yuuri should be sleeping and preparing for his own free skate the next day.

"By the way," Viktor says before sleep can claim his fiancé, "Your short program was beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you."

Viktor is still blushing when the press conference starts.

For his exhibition Viktor skates Stammi Vicino the way it was always meant to be. The way Yuuri skated it in that viral video that made Viktor take a leap of faith.

* * *

 **Viktor's music in the free skate is _Passacaille in Barcelona_ which is one of the soundtracks from the anime. **


	2. European Championship

**Fact of the Chapter: There are six types of jumps, today I will briefly explain two of them, the flip (Vity's signature quad) and the lutz (Chris' signature quad). The flip and the lutz are very similar, in fact, there is only one difference between them: the edge of the take-off. This might not make much sense, if you don't know much about figure skating, but imagine this. Your skate has to touch the ice before you jump into the air. For a flip and a lutz, the way you jump, is by tapping one of your feet into the ice to gain momentum. The edge of your non-tapping skate will have to be on an inside edge for a flip, and an outside edge for a lutz. Should a skater take off on an inside edge for a lutz, the jump is dubbed a flutz and only** **receives** **80% of it's point value as well as negative goe. An outside take-off for a flip is dubbed a lip. The consequences being the same.**

 **That was a handful but I promise this bit will be quite important in the future.**

* * *

"You want to take a quad out of your program?" Yakov isn't so much yelling as he is just bursting out pure confusion.

"Yeah," is the intelligible answer Viktor gives him as he glides over the ice, running through his short program step sequence at half speed.

"Why?" Yakov is still utterly confused. It's a fair reaction seeing as Viktor was the one to push for both three and four quads back when it was still uncharted territory. "Europeans is next, and you can't rely on Yura screwing up again like he did at nationals. Not to mention Giacometti, who you of all people should know only gets better as the season goes on. Crispino has been improving steadily as well. Don't forget that he was a Grand Prix Finalist last season. And while Nekola might not have the most refined programs, the boy still has four quads! And you want to compete with a one quad layout? I'm not even sure you can win if the others make mistakes!"

"You make it sound like the world will end if I don't win," Viktor smiles. He's still very focused on this step sequence. He'd lost a level on it at nationals because he had rushed through it. He's determined not to make the same mistake again.

"You don't want to win?" Yakov is now sounding like he's trying to understand what is going on inside Viktor's head. Not the best move.

"Of course I want to win. There is no point in coming back to a competitive sport if you don't want to win. But I have something else I want to do too."

"And that something is having a one-quad layout like when you were eighteen?"

"If you want to look at it like that."

"How else am I supposed to look at it when you're not telling me why you want to do this? I am not opposed to you lowering your technical content when you just came back to competition, hell, I had a whole lecture prepared as to why I thought you should only do three quads, but this I don't understand."

"Ah, but I'm gonna have two quads in the short program," Viktor says as if it will make the entire situation okay, "I think the short is best if I have two quads."

"I give up," Yakov sighs, "Give me a run down of your planned content and then we'll work from there. If this is your plan, you have no excuses if you don't make the best of it."

"Yes, coach," Viktor says and skates up to Yakov who is holding out a pen and some paper for Viktor to write down the new jump layout.

"Now then," Yakov says sternly, back in full-coach mode now that he's accepted Viktor's little stunt, "Let's practice that triple loop you had so much trouble with at Nationals."

Viktor groans. He hates the loop.

* * *

Viktor comes home to the kitchen smelling like chicken and thyme. Usually Viktor is home before Yuuri starts preparing dinner, but practice had dragged out and Yakov had kept Viktor for a little longer, just to make extra sure he understood what only having one quad in the free meant.

"You're late," Yuuri says from the kitchen. Viktor is still in the hallway getting kisses from Makkachin, "I assume you told Yakov about your jump layout."

"Yeah," Viktor says, when Makkachin finally calms down, and makes his way to the kitchen, "He didn't really get it."

"Did you explain why?" Yuuri looks at Viktor accusingly. He knows him too well.

"I mean..."

"You're hopeless," Yuuri shakes his head and Viktor hugs him from behind as he plants a kiss on Yuuri's cheek.

"Hopelessly in love."

* * *

They put away the dishes and decide to wash them later in favor of cuddling on the couch first. They don't actually get to spend a lot of time together with both of them competing. Whatever time they can get together, they'll take.

"I wish I could go with you to Ostrava," Yuuri says. He's resting his head on Viktor's shoulder, while Viktor is combing his fingers soothingly through his hair.

"You'll lose too much practice time," Viktor says like he has done so many times, "Four Continents is next month."

"I know," Yuuri sighs, "At least I get to take you with me then."

"Of course. I have coach privileges now."

"Mmm~ Let's go on a date before the competition starts."

"For Valentines?" Viktor asks. He knows Japan and Russia has different traditions for that particular holiday, so he decides to just follow Yuuri in this.

"It will be fun. Something to take my mind off of the competition."

"I see," Viktor says thoughtfully, "So we go on dates to distract you from competitions. What shall we do when you retire?"

"Well according to you I shouldn't ever retire, so it should work out fine," Yuuri smiles, "Or maybe you could just start asking me out on dates and it would solve the problem."

"I haven't actually done that, have I?"

"No you always wanted to skip the date part and go straight to the bedroom fun."

"I'm a bad boyfriend," Viktor fake sighs.

"That's okay," Yuuri says and leans up for a kiss, "You're a great fiancé."

* * *

Yuuri accompanies Viktor and the other Russians to the airport. He says his goodbyes to everyone before he gives Viktor a hug and a thousand goodbye kisses.

"I'll be cheering for you," Yuuri says between kisses, "But if you break my world record, I'll be mad."

"Is that so?" Viktor steals another kiss, "I'll be careful then."

"You can take Yurio's though," Yuuri says loud enough for Yurio to overhear, "I don't think he needs it."

"Oi! I'm coming for the last two records, Katsudon! Don't be sad when I beat your stupid fiancé and claim another one of his titles."

"Davai!" Yuuri says and gives him a thumbs up. Yurio turns his back.

"I think you made the kitty mad."

"Why would you think that?" Yuuri laughs.

They kiss goodbye until it's time for Viktor to leave.

* * *

Viktor spends half of the plane ride sleeping and the other half reading one of the books he's taken with him. It's an old favorite of his. A romance novel set in a world that seems like a fairy tale. Viktor has always liked it, but he thinks that now that he's in love, truly in love, he can understand the protagonist's feelings even better. Viktor starts playing with the idea of cooperating the story of the book into an exhibition piece.

They land in Ostrava late in the afternoon. It's about enough time for them to get settled in their hotel and then eat some dinner. Team Yakov go out together, but Viktor honestly doesn't follow the conversation much.

"I know you're incapable of functioning without Yuuri, but you don't have to ignore us," Mila says as she pokes his arm, "What are you doing anyway?"

"Normal adult stuff," Viktor says. He's on his phone. Texting Yuuri.

"Ew. Gross," Yurio says. Viktor weighs the pros and cons of making a sex joke. Before he gets to decide Mila snatches his phone.

"You're texting Yuuri!" She says as she goes through the last couple of messages, "It hasn't even been a day!"

"I miss him!" Viktor explains. Mila won't understand. Mila's not in love.

"Look! Even Yuuri is telling you to socialize with us," Mila waves the phone in front of him as if he's unaware of what Yuuri has been telling him for the past ten minutes, "I'm taking your phone," Mila decides as if she doesn't already have it and puts it in her bra.

"So what were we talking about?" Viktor asks.

"Predictions for the women," Georgi explains, "Mila insists this will be her year."

"And it will! Mark my words, in a weeks time, you'll be looking at the European Champion."

"You're right," Yurio says unexpectedly, "I'll be sure to congratulate the Crispino girl."

Mila throws a piece of bread and Yakov intervenes for the first time since dinner started. Or maybe Viktor had just not noticed it before.

"Regardless of Mila's placement," Georgi tells Viktor, "I'll beat you this time." The table has gotten rowdy, so it's just the two of them having this conversation now.

"Yakov only went along with your one-quad insanity because you're stubborn, but I don't trust it. You can't win with that. Not in this day and age."

"Comes from the person who can only do two kinds of quads," Viktor teases. He means nothing by it. The two of them have known each other for many years.

"A good salchow is better than a half-assed flip. You've barely been able to land it in the second half, and now you're taking a page from Yuuri's book and putting it as the last jump? Love has made you dumb."

"On the contrary, love has opened my eyes," Viktor says wistfully, "Besides, I don't want to hear that sort of thing from a guy who dedicated an entire season to his ex."

"I'll still beat you," Georgi says, "Maybe you won't even get on the podium. Yura and Giacometti could stand on the podium with me."

"Maybe," Viktor smiles, "Or maybe not." Viktor has a plan, and he's going to go through with that plan.

* * *

They have four days in Ostrava before the men's competition starts. Viktor spends the evening before the competition doing some light sightseeing. He has always enjoyed travelling and experiencing new cultures. Although it is hard to really experience a new country when you are there to compete. He goes to an art museum and a shopping mall, where he gets both food and a nice present for Yuuri (It's a cute beanie because Yurio had "burrowed" the one with cat ears that Yuuri had taken with him to St. Petersburg, and kept "forgetting" to give it back.)

The rest of the time is spend practicing between the events and resting in his hotel room.

 _You should go out with the others._ Yuuri had texted him on the second night. Viktor knows he should, but he doesn't really have the energy to socialize. He always finds himself cornered by journalists whenever he goes to the arena, and some enthusiastic fans when he goes outside. He needs the space he can get. He'll ask if Chris wants to go somewhere after the free program, but right now they're both focused on the competition ahead.

On the third day of the European Championships the men's competition starts. Viktor is in the last group along with pretty much the only skaters in the competition he's ever had a proper conversation with: Yurio and Georgi are obviously there, Chris too. Then there is the Crispino twin (without his sister surprisingly) and Emil Nekola.

Yurio is up first. Despite having broken a world record with this piece, Yurio is still trying to improve. His edges have become sharper since the Finals, and Viktor is sure he'll see a visible improvement in his skating skills. It's almost flawless until he doubles the last part of his combination, which throws him off slightly on his final spin. But those are all small details and Viktor is sure he'll still end up with a monster score.

Viktor is up last, and watches the competition as it goes on. He understands that with how he has planned his free skate he needs to finish the short program in first place to have a chance of gold. When it's his turn, the top three are Yurio in first place, Chris in second less than half a point behind and Michele in third trailing Chris by about four points. The competition is tight, and mistakes have been minimal. The pressure is on.

"Next skater representing Russia: Viktor Nikiforov!" The announcer says and Viktor greets the audience as he makes it to the center of the ice. He takes a deep breath and gets into his starting position. The crowd slowly grows silent and the music starts.

The program is very carefully crafted. When Viktor performed it at the Russian nationals it was far from complete and his goal had been to enhance the music and give a beautiful performance. The choreography has changed slightly since then.

 _If you had to describe what kind of feeling Japan exhibits, what would you say?_ Viktor had asked Yuuri one day. _Strong and Elegant,_ Yuuri had said. Viktor understood. This was what Viktor needed to show. At Nationals he had shown the elegance, this time he would show the strength too.

The program opens up with his favorite jump: The quad flip. The jump blends in beautifully with the choreography and he uses the loud response from the audience when he lands it to go into his combination: a quad toe immediately followed by a double toe with his arms raised. Another round of deafening applause. The music can barely be heard. He transitions into the first spin, never pausing to allow the audience to relax.

The program enters the second half and he can feel himself getting tired. He enters the triple axel from a backcounter, and amongst the cheers that follow, Viktor can hear Yakov cheering him on too. Another spin and he moves onto the step sequence. When making this step sequence, Viktor had studied Yuuri. Used his free days and evenings and whatever time he could find to watch Yuuri's old programs, his old exhibitions, everything available on the internet. He had studied him, learned from him, drawn inspiration from him and the way he made music with his body. Anyone could appreciate this step sequence, but Viktor thinks Yuuri will be the only one to understand it.

When Viktor enters the final spin, the audience is already on their feet and the applause has completely drowned out the music. Viktor takes his ending position, keeps still for a second and bows to the audience as the flowers and plushies rain down around him.

He is exhausted. He can feel the adrenalin already starting to leave his body and he carefully maneuvers around all the gifts - picking up a few things along the way - and takes to the Kiss & Cry with Yakov.

"You'll go into the lead," Yakov says before the scores are up. They are still replaying his jumps on the monitor, "If you put in the Lutz instead of the Toe at Worlds, you could take back your world record." Leave it to Yakov to always come up with something to change even if you have a flawless skate.

"Well, let's see what the scores are before we think of making any changes," Viktor says and positions his Makkachin tissue holder on his lap so it's facing the camera in front of them. When he sees his face appear on the monitor he smiles wide and takes Makkachin's paw to wave at the audience. Then the announcer speaks again.

"Viktor Nikiforov's short program score is..." Viktor holds his breath. There is only one number he wants to hear, "115.35." And he gets it. The applause bursts out once again, but Viktor doesn't think they've noticed what he's done.

"Vitya..." Yakov says beside him. Viktor can tell he's in shock. He's figured it out. Viktor didn't just go almost five points into the lead. He maxed out his score.

The program was carefully crafted. Viktor had chosen his best jumps, positioned them where he knew he had the energy to perform them perfectly. Every stroke of his blade, every edge, arm movement and facial expression was carefully chosen to get this result. A perfect result. Skaters with a difficult jump layout often had to sacrifice other elements of the program, but Viktor was determined to show that this sport was still about the whole package and not just the flashy jumps. All of his elements had gotten the highest grade of execution available. All his program components had been awarded an astounding 10 across the board. A perfect program.

"Is this why you only have one quad in the free?" Yakov asks, slowly realizing what Viktor is aiming for.

"Yes," Viktor says. Tomorrow he'll skate a perfect free program.

There is a press conference after the short program for the three leaders. Viktor gets asked what he thinks about his scores and he simply says that he's happy that he's still competitive after some time off. He sees Chris eye him as he answers, but looks away when a reporter directs a question towards him.

"A perfect score!" Chris corners him after the press conference, "You don't know how to do anything halfway, do you?"

"It's how you stay on top," Viktor answers and is about to congratulate Chris on setting a new season's best, but he doesn't get a chance before Chris is speaking again.

"But don't think I'll let you stay on top. I'll surpass both you and little Yuri in the free!"

"I'll cheer for you," Viktor responds. He wouldn't mind losing to Chris. He would prefer winning, but if he had to lose to someone, he'd choose Chris.

"I swear, if I win, don't bring up Bern. I know you were just thinking about it."

"You have no way to prove that," Viktor accuses. Chris was right though.

"As your best friend I have earned the ability to read your mind," Chris states in a matter-of-fact, "You need to let it go."

"If we swap medals, I will," Viktor teases. As much as the circumstances of Bern deeply annoys Viktor, it was the competition where he and Chris had become friends, so maybe it hadn't been that bad after all.

"Oh my God. You're such a drama queen."

"I learned from the best," Viktor laughs. They go back to the hotel together, skillfully dodging reporters as they go.

* * *

 _What happened in Bern?_ Yuuri asks later that evening. They're texting because Yakov has forbidden phone calls and Viktor is scared of his super hearing. Especially when their rooms are right next to each other.

 _Who told you about Bern?_ Viktor knows it must have been Chris.

 _Chris texted me saying that I should make you shut up about it._ Of course he did.

 _Bern refers to Europeans in 2011._ Viktor explains. He may or may not be dodging the question, because Yuuri will definitely be siding with Chris on this one. Yuuri never misses an opportunity to poke fun at Viktor.

 _I figured as much, but I assume something happened that no one knows about? Did you sleep with Chris?_

 _You think Chris would want me to shut up about that?_

 _Maybe you were really bad at it and he wants to erase it from memory?_ Viktor pictures Yuuri's cheeky grin as he reads the message.

 _Rude Yuuri! Rude! (ᗒᗩᗕ)_

 _No but really, what did you do?_ Yuuri is annoyingly good at staying on topic.

 _I won._

 _Obviously I know that too._

 _Yeah but I shouldn't have won._

 _? What?_

 _The judging panel didn't call out the edge change on my lutz. If they had I wouldn't have won._

 _And Chris would have taken second… I see._

 _So basically you're upset that you won, because it wasn't fair._

 _Not only that but it was in Chris' home country! He should have won, but he didn't! Outrageous!_

 _I can see why Chris wants you to let it go._

 _Noooo, Yuuriiiii! Don't take his side! (●´⌓`●)_

 _It's been six years, Viktor, let it go._

 _Everyone is so mean to me. I just want justice._

 _Sure thing, sweety. Goodnight xxx_

 _Goodnight, my love, I'll bring home gold for you to kiss xxx_

* * *

Viktor wakes up early the next day and goes on a morning jog. He picks up a cup of green tea (Yuuri's favourite) on his way back to the hotel, does some light yoga while his free program music plays on a loop and takes a brisk shower. He joins the others for breakfast a little late and eats a light meal. Yakov makes a brief comment about how he should eat more food, but he knows that Viktor never eats a lot on a competition day.

Mila never comes down for breakfast. Her competition ended the day before and Viktor knows she's going to sleep until the first event of the day starts. Mila had gotten bronze and come to Viktor afterwards. _Teach me the triple axel,_ she had said. Yakov had said no. Viktor had said yes. He'd teach her when they get back to Russia. But before Viktor can teach anyone anything, he needs to skate a perfect free program.

When the men's competition starts, Viktor doesn't follow the competition like he did the short program. He stays in the warm-up area, headphones in, volume up, ignoring everything around him. He knows most of them do this. Yakov gives him a sign when there are about five minutes left until the last group get to begin their six minute warm up, and Viktor puts on the music for his free skate again, and goes through it one last time.

An official enters the warm-up area when it's time for them to get ready, and the skaters slowly move out. It's the same six people in the last group as yesterday, the only difference is the order. Chris is first, Yurio is last. Viktor goes fourth.

When the warm-up is over, all the skaters, except for Chris, go back to the warm-up area to wait their turn. Viktor puts his headphones back in, determined not to let the other scores get to him. He watches as the the other skaters are called out one after the other until it's just him, Yuri and Crispino left. Viktor takes a deep breath and readies himself as Yakov gestures that it's time.

Emil is finishing up his program as Viktor enters the arena. All eyes are on him as he readies for his last jump. Viktor closes his eyes. He doesn't need to see. Yakov taps his shoulder when the program is over, and Viktor takes to the ice before all the flowers have been picked up. He tunes out the noise as he jumps a couple of triples, skates up to Yakov for some last second advice which turns out to just be _don't mess up_ and with a rather firm slap on the back, Viktor greets the audience as his name is called.

The free program feels shorter than the actual short program. Viktor let's the music carry him through. He thinks of Yuuri and all the things he has taught him, and let's that be his guide. He finishes the program feeling less tired than he thought he would. Probably the magic of only having one quad even if it was the last jump. When Viktor had finished the short he was almost certain he had achieved the perfect program. This time he isn't so sure. He seemed to have more or less blanked out in the middle of the it, and while he knows that's good for his component scores (he's been in this situation many times before), he knows he has a tendency to rush the step sequence. He hopes today wasn't one of those days.

He picks up a cute plushie of a chibi Yuuri and makes his way to the Kiss & Cry. He doesn't know what the standings are, but he figures either Yakov will tell him or he'll ask Chris when they get to the green room.

Waiting for his scores seems to take a longer time than skating the program and Viktor hugs his Yuuri plushie tight for good luck. Finally the scores come. 206.61. Another perfect pcs. The 100 looks really good, but it's not as good as the short program. He's about four points away from the best score he could get and he's willing to bet all his money on having lost a level on the step sequence, but where he lost the rest of the points, he doesn't know. However, this is the price he has to pay for having had these programs for less than two months. His body hasn't memorized them well enough yet. But he can go over the faults later. For now he'll celebrate another perfect component score.

That doesn't mean that Viktor doesn't notice the '2' beside his total score.

Viktor joins Chris and Georgi in the green room. Only the top three are allowed here, and he seems to be replacing Emil Nekola who gives him a fistbump on the way out.

"So which one of you is beating me?" Viktor asks. They had both said they would beat him this time around, but it seems that only one of them will get the pleasure.

"That would be me, mon amie," Chris say and gestures for Viktor to come sit beside him, "I told you I would win."

"There are still two skaters left," Viktor points out, "Don't get cocky." Viktor is still hugging the Yuuri plushie and he sees Chris mouth _cute_ to Georgi, who just rolls his eyes.

"You flutzed," Chris says, "It's been a couple of years since you did that last, and on a triple no less. I'm disappointed."

"The lutz isn't my jump," Viktor explains, but now he understands where he lost some points.

"Someone who can jump a quad lutz doesn't get to says that it's not 'my jump'," Georgi intervenes and Viktor immaturely just sticks his tongue out.

They get distracted when Michele finishes his program, and when the camera in front of them goes off, they all wave and blow kisses. Michele takes third and switches place with Georgi.

"Why is little Yuri always last to skate?" Chris sighs, "He is good enough to overtake us both, but he's also pretty inconsistent. Anything could happen."

"If he nails his quad combo I think he wins," Viktor says, if he was holding the real Yuuri, he would no longer be breathing.

Yurio does not, in fact, nail his quad combo. He pops it, has a couple of wobbly landings, but no falls. Viktor is pretty sure him and Chris are guaranteed for first and second.

Yurio ends up with bronze, only a point clear of Michele and he seems quite dissatisfied.

The medal ceremony takes place almost immediately afterwards and then comes then press conference. Viktor forgot what it was like to not win. Most of the questions are directed at Chris, which gives Viktor a chance to just sit back and not keep his brain in fifth gear, trying to think up the best replies to every single plausible question they could ask him. The most interesting question he gets is how he feels about his first silver in roughly six years. He says that he's satisfied with the result, but will work hard to win at Worlds in two months.

Even though it's late, Viktor goes through with his promise to himself and asks Chris to join him for dinner. He gladly accepts, but they somehow end up dragging most of the skaters they know with them. It reminds Viktor a lot of night in Barcelona, and once again he wishes that Yuuri was here.

Chris does a good job of keeping Viktor from everyone else and they end up having their own private conversation at their end of the table. Viktor always forgets how easy Chris is to talk to, especially during competitions. The two of them are highly competitive and during a competition they can easily seem a little hostile towards each other, but when the competition ends, they revert back to simply being best friends.

"You should come visit us in the summer," Viktor says when the night is drawing to a close.

"Of course. I hope Yuuri has transformed your bleak apartment into something a little more cozy."

Viktor laughs: "I think you'll be surprised at the changes actually."

"I look forward to it."

* * *

Yuuri meets them at the airport, and Viktor jumps at him as soon as he can.

"I missed you," Viktor says, hugging Yuuri tight.

"I missed you too."

"How was practice with Lilia?"

"She killed me at least twice."

This makes Viktor giggle: "So not too bad then? When I did ballet with her, I'm pretty sure she killed me at least twice a day."

Yuuri laughs. Viktor has missed Yuuri's laugh.

They finally let go of each other (still holding hands though! The hand holding is very important), and maneuver their way through the airport. They take a cab home.

"I invited Chris over in the summer," Viktor mentions before he forgets.

"Maybe I should kiss his medal then," Yuuri teases. Viktor wants to act offended, but all he can do is smile and lean his head on Yuuri's shoulder.

"Rude," Viktor says with a smile.

"At least now we match," Yuuri points out and squeezes Viktor's hand, "But you better get used to the silver. I'm winning Worlds."

Viktor looks up at Yuuri and, if possible, smiles even wider, "I'm sure you will, but you should set your eyes on Four Continents first."

"Don't worry gorgeous," Yuuri says and kisses his forehead, "I'll win that too."

* * *

 **1) For anyone interested in Viktor's jump layouts they were as follows:**

 **SP: 4F, 4T+2T / 3A - Maximum score available: 115.35**  
 **FS: 3Lz + 3T, 3Lz 3Lo, 3F / 3A+2T+2T, 3S+3Lo, 2A, 4F - Maximum score available: 209.03**

 **2) Popping a jump. This term refers to when the skater makes less rotations than what they intended. Let's say they try to jump a quad, but the end up doing a double instead. We call that a pop. (This was talked about in the anime, but I don't remember if they used the term 'pop')**

 **3) Mila wanting to do a triple axel is pretty crazy. Only nine (I think) women have ever landed a triple axel in competition, and of those only two skaters, Mirai Nagasu (USA) and Rika Kihara (JPN), is currently attempting it in competition.**


	3. Four Continents

**Fact of the Chapter: Kubo has said that YoI-verse is supposed to be ahead of the real world, so therefore I have written and adjusted scores to match that. In IRL figure skating, the world records are the following; 112.72 (Short Program), 223.20 (Free Skate) and 330.43 (Total Score) - All are set by his majesty Yuzuru Hanyu**

* * *

St. Petersburg is very different from both Hasetsu and Detroit, and in very different ways. Obviously, the first thing you notice is the cold. Detroit has definitely hardened Yuuri's skin, but after having spent almost a year in warm Hasetsu, well, it takes Yuuri a few days - and a couple of extra layers - to adjust. While St. Petersburg is by no means a quiet city, their apartment is located it a nice area a few blocks away from pretty much anything that isn't just your everyday supermarket, but only a half hour run from the rink. In Detroit it was almost impossible to find a silent place, and where Yuuri, and later Phichit, had lived, it had been filled with mostly college students and newly graduates. The fact that Yuuri can now go somewhere silent when he needs to is much appreciated.

Yuuri expects some sort of meltdown when he moves to St. Petersburg, not because he dreads it, but because moving is stressful. Even though he had been optimistic about Detroit, he had still been a victim of his own traitorous mind. When Yuuri first moves in, he can tell Viktor is expecting some sort of reaction too. Yuuri thinks it's very sweet how Viktor has already acquired his favorite post-panic attack tea, which he knows is not easy to find outside of Japan. But time goes on, Yuuri gets settled and the anxiety never really comes. Yuuri then expects a breakdown when Viktor has to leave for Europeans. While Russian is definitely a language he has always wanted to learn, he has never really had a good reason until he started dating Viktor. But unlike his multi lingual fiancé, who seemed to somehow have plenty of free time in Japan to learn (most of) a new language, Yuuri cannot find the time to study Russian. So when Yuuri has to go shopping, and possibly talk to someone without translator close by to help him out, he really expects the worst. Social situations he can't control has never done him any good.

But even then Yuuri remains pretty calm. He starts his day with a light breakfast, takes Makkachin with him when he runs to the rink, and practices with Lilia, Yakov's assistant Eteri and the two Russian Juniors who do not have a competition to go to. He'll eat his lunch, go through the texts Viktor has sent him about whatever is happening in Ostrava and then either run back home or join Lilia in her studio. When he eventually gets back home, he cooks, talks to Viktor, and at some point Phichit, and goes to bed. It's not a bad routine, although he does miss Viktor a lot. The apartment seems empty without him, but Makkachin does make an excellent cuddler.

Yuuri only goes shopping twice. The first for groceries where he had carefully researched what everything he needed looked like in Russian cyrillic, and the second time for a suit Viktor doesn't need to know he owns yet. But other than those two adventures and the downright masochistic ritual Yuuri puts himself through under Lilia's guidance, the week is pretty uneventful. At least in St. Petersburg.

Yuuri obviously follows the European Championship closely. During the free skate he even drapes himself in one of Viktor's 'Team Russia' jackets for good luck. He thinks it works because Viktor gets another perfect program component score and Yuuri is certain that Viktor's reaction in the Kiss & Cry does not do that achievement justice. _Your fiancé is crazy, Yuuri, straight up mental._ Phichit texts Yuuri after the free skate. It's well into the night in Bangkok, but Yuuri entertains a probably sleep deprived Phichit anyway by saying that _he knows_ and _he loves him anyway._ When Phichit doesn't answer until morning, Yuuri assumes he simply fell asleep in the middle of their conversation.

 _Am I really that boring?_ Yuuri texts when he wakes up the next morning. Phichit's reply comes ten minutes later. It's a five hundred word essay about why Yuuri could never be boring. He skims it and replies with a sleepy face emoji.

Yuuri stays in bed for a little while longer. He has to pick up Viktor at the airport in about five hours, so there is no practice today. He'll have to take Makkachin on a walk before he leaves, but other than that, Yuuri sees no reason to get up whatsoever. There is a message from Chris which is surprisingly lacking of any lewd jokes, comments or emojis. It's a simple _thank you_ (in reply to Yuuri congratulating him on his win) and a _good luck_ to Yuuri at Four Continents. The message was sent at three in the morning (St. Petersburg time), so Yuuri assumes the skaters went out for an afterparty post-banquet. Yuuri hopes Viktor went with them because he knows he avoided people for most of his time in Ostrava.

Before they had gotten to know each other, Yuuri had always assumed Viktor was a Phichit-esque extrovert, and while Viktor definitely had moods like that, he just as many times had periods where he preferred to be alone. Yuuri can see by the gap in Viktor's enormous bookshelf that he's definitely in a "lock myself in my hotel room to read" kind of mood.

Yuuri rolls over and faces Makkachin who is not only awake, but definitely starting to get excited for a walk. Yuuri can't resist the face of a poodle, and drags himself out of bed. Yuuri takes Makkachin to the dog park to play around for a bit until Yuuri starts to get cold and decides it's times to get back home. On the jog home, Yuuri runs past a flower shop and gets an idea. He circles around the building, preparing himself for some spontaneous social interaction, before he enters the shop.

There is a chime when Yuuri walks in and a woman immediately greets him in Russian.

"Um, English?" Yuuri asks. He has no idea what he will do if she can't speak English. Probably just awkwardly walk backwards out of the shop.

"English is good," the florist smiles. Her accent is thick, but having listened to Yakov yelling, Yuuri is sure he can get through this.

"I would like a bouquet," Yuuri says and mentally slaps himself because, yeah, he entered a flower shop, it should be pretty obvious that wants a bouquet.

"Of course," the florist answers brightly because she is being paid to be nice to people, "What kind of bouquet? Is it for someone? For a special occasion?"

"Um," Yuuri has not really thought this through too well, "Do you have something for when people win… stuff?" _I would like to give my very talented fiancé a bouquet, because he was amazing, but it's also his first time not winning since forever and I don't want to make it seem like a consolation prize? How do you say that with flowers?_ Maybe Yuuri should just have asked for roses. Viktor loves romantic clichés.

"Like winning sports?" The florist asks and Yuuri nods and tries very hard not to fiddle in front of her. Why are social interactions so hard?

"Who are they for,?" She continues, "Friend? Family?"

"My fiancé," Yuuri mutters, but she seems to catch it. Yuuri still gets lightheaded when he refers to Viktor as his fiancé outloud. One thing is doing it on his head, but saying it to other people? That makes it seem all too real. Yuuri loves it though. Because Viktor is his.

"Okay, I will give you hyacinths and purple roses," she smiles and gets off to work before Yuuri can even say 'yes'.

The bouquet she makes is beautiful. The roses are a light purple colour, and the hyacinths are different shades of purple or white. She ties a purple silken bow around it and hands it to Yuuri after he has paid.

"The hyacinths are for sports," she says, "The white ones are good luck. You know roses, yes?"

"Yeah," Yuuri says as he holds the bouquet, "I know roses."

Yuuri and Makkachin take it easy on the way back from the flower shop, because Yuuri is afraid of dropping or somehow ruin the flowers. Yuuri still has about three hours before he has to leave, and he doesn't actually plan on taking the flowers with him. With the long cab ride home, Yuuri thinks that it would be somewhat awkward if Viktor had to sit with bunch of flowers on his lap. He ponders for a moment whether he should keep them as is, but in the end puts them in vase. He'll make this work somehow. He goes through the fridge and various cupboards hoping he can put together a somewhat interesting meal without having to go shopping.

They have spaghetti and Yuuri is pretty sure that's supposed to be romantic. There's some seafood and Yuuri first wonders if it's just oysters that are considered sexy and then why that is. They have no oysters (mainly because why would they?), but they have scallops and that's fairly close, right? With some herbs and a salad this could possibly work. Yuuri is not a bad cook, but he usually sticks to the twenty or so recipes he knows. Viktor is the one to improvise in the kitchen, although it has varying success. He has yet to produce something inedible, even if it has been a close call a few times.

Yuuri spends his last few hours planning their hopefully romantic evening before setting off to meet Viktor at the airport.

* * *

Yuuri had not realized how much he had missed Viktor until he sees him. The rest of team Yakov is also there, but Yuuri barely acknowledges them as Viktor embraces him. Yuuri is of course aware that they are surrounded by countless of Russian journalists who want to hear from the medalists, but Yuuri doesn't mind them as they take their pictures. He's the man who stole Viktor Nikiforov from the world after all.

Viktor doesn't even acknowledge the reporters and seems very eager to get home. _I miss Makkachin,_ Viktor had said to Yakov when he had protested, saying that Viktor could at least give the media _something._ It doesn't work and soon they're in the back of a cab, the airport slowly disappearing behind them.

"We could go out for dinner?" Viktor says ten minutes before they reach the apartment, "I'd feel bad if you had to cook when we haven't seen each other for so long."

Yuuri knows Viktor would have offered to cook, or help him cook, if he had been a little less tired. He also knows that Viktor doesn't really want to go out, he's just being considerate. It's something that Yuuri finds sweet but also annoying sometimes. Right now he thinks it sweet just because he can't find it in him to be annoyed with him.

"I don't mind cooking," Yuuri says, because it would actually mess up all his plans if they went out, "Besides, I can do that while you take a shower."

"Are you saying I smell, love?" Viktor asks and pulls himself closer to Yuuri.

"I'm saying you've been on a plane for five hours, and also you're tired and if you fall asleep now you're undoubtedly gonna wake me up at three in the morning."

"That sounds fun though?"

"How am I in love with you?"

"Because we're soulmates," Viktor sighs, and Yuuri isn't too sure if the dreamy look he's giving him is solely because he's in love, or if it's also because he's very tired. Yuuri gives him a kiss either way because Viktor is right.

* * *

When they get back, Viktor gets assaulted by Makkachin and spends some time with his beloved poodle before he disappears for a shower. Yuuri figures he has about thirty minutes before Viktor has finished and sets everything up. Yuuri turns off all the lights and illuminates the living room with dozens of candles (none of them match but it's the thought that counts). He sets the vase with the bouquet on the dining table and sets the table with some of the fancy cutlery and china Viktor has probably never used. He puts on a playlist of piano music to play quietly in the background. He pours them each a glass of red wine, and sets the bottle back because getting drunk is not the motive tonight. When he hears Viktor roaming around to find some clothes he plates up the food. He's ready to give Viktor a surprise.

Viktor comes into the living room wearing a loose white t-shirt with some fainted logo on, a pair of grey sweatpants, some slippers that are shaped like dogs and a towel still around his neck to catch the water still dripping from his hair. He makes it about two steps into the room before he stops and looks. Viktor always turns speechless when Yuuri does something unexpected. Yakov once told Yuuri that Viktor always has something to say, but Yuuri has plenty of proof that that's not true.

"Surprise," Yuuri says, "I thought we should celebrate."

Viktor remains speechless for another five seconds as he stares at Yuuri, who only smiles.

"Wow," Viktor finally says, "I suddenly feel underdressed."

"If you want, I can put on an old shirt too?" Yuuri is not exactly wearing his most flattering clothes, but he definitely looks more like someone ready to enjoy a romantic evening than Viktor.

"No, I think this is fine," Viktor replies and finally closes the distance between them to give Yuuri a hug, "Thank you."

"Come on," Yuuri says after a little while, "The food will get cold."

* * *

Viktor is about halfway through his wine when he asks about the flowers.

"Why hyacinths?" He asks after having looked at them for awhile.

"Good luck and victory in sports," Yuuri says casually. They're celebrating Viktor's results at Europeans after all.

"I got second though..." Viktor almost questions, and Yuuri has to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

"Yes, but you also got two perfect component scores. I think that in itself is a victory. I recall you saying something similar about about my performance at the finals?"

"But why the purple roses then?" Viktor continues, unexpectedly ignoring Yuuri's comment.

"Because we're engaged?" Yuuri knows that Viktor knows what roses mean. Every knows what roses mean.

"But purple roses mean 'love at first sight'," Viktor says and finally shifts his eyes to Yuuri, "Is it some kind of secret message? Were you not just a fan after all?" Yuuri knows Viktor is teasing him, but he still feels his cheeks go warm.

"You are so full of yourself," Yuuri teases back. Two can play at this game. "But maybe you are right. I do recall you saying how enchanted you were by me at Sochi."

"I'm not the one who bought the flowers, my love."

"And I'm not the one who flew halfway across the world because I had a crush, dear."

Viktor laughs, "You got me."

Viktor is very beautiful when he laughs, Yuuri thinks, and absentmindedly reaches over to kiss him.

* * *

"You're resting today, right?" Yuuri asks. His eyes are still closed with the hopes of sneaking in another five minutes of sleep.

"Mm~" Viktor mumbles into his chest, "Very tired."

"I'll go to the rink soon," Yuuri says, not moving at all, "Then I'll come home to you."

"I love you," Viktor whispers as he drifts back off to sleep. Another thing Yuuri has learned from Yakov is that Viktor always crashes after a competition. _He also gets ill whenever the season ends,_ Yakov had added just to prepare him. Yuuri is not unfamiliar with post-competition crashes, but Viktor seems to go down a little harder than what Yuuri has experienced himself.

Yuuri drags himself out of bed almost half an hour later. The apartment is probably the messiest Yuuri has even seen it. Viktor's suitcase is open at the foot of the bed, not even half unpacked. Their clothes from last night are scattered across the bedroom floor. Yuuri grabs a bathrobe to keep himself warm as he makes his way to the kitchen which is also a mess. They never got around to cleaning the dishes, and as Yuuri is not a functional person in the morning, he just puts everything in the sink. One of them will deal with that later.

After a bowl of oatmeal and fruit, Yuuri showers, gets into his workout clothes and kisses a sleeping Viktor goodbye. He resists the temptation of taking Makkachin with him, only because he knows that if Viktor has no reason to get up, he will sleep all day. Makkachin will be sure to wake him up when it's time to go for a walk.

The rink is unsurprisingly void of people. Most of them are resting after the competition, but it seems that at least Mila has been able to drag herself out of bed to practice. Yakov hasn't arrived yet, so it's just Eteri standing by the rink side watching as Mila goes through her triple flip over and over again. She fell on the jump at Europeans and it cost her the silver.

"Good morning, Yuuri," she beams as she spots him. She too is a cheery morning person. Yuuri knows for a fact that the only who hates mornings as much as him is Yurio.

"Good morning," he replies, trying to match her good mood, even if he would rather be cuddled up to Viktor sleeping like a normal person.

"Viktor's not with you?" She asks, and Yuuri shakes his head.

"He's resting today, but he'll probably be back tomorrow."

"Hmm~ okay," Mila smiles, "Just remind him of his promise. I don't intend to follow him to another country like Yura if he forgets."

"What did he promise you?" Yuuri asks only because he knows Viktor has probably already forgotten.

"Teaching me the triple axel. Yakov won't do it, because my other triples aren't stable yet, but I think I can do it. My double axel is very good."

It is very good, Yuuri thinks, but that doesn't mean that she can do it. Yuuri thinks Mila will land it just because she's Mila.

"Well," he says, "I don't really have anything planned for today, being coachless and all, so I don't mind helping you out a bit, if it's okay with Eteri."

"Don't tell Yakov and don't get injured," Eteri replies. Yuuri knows she has a soft spot for Mila, if not he would never have suggested to help her out when Yakov had explicitly forbidden Mila from trying it out.

The two of them spend almost two hours working on Mila's triple axel, and Yuuri begins to understand how Viktor kept a good condition despite mostly coaching Yuuri. During their two hours of practice, Mila only manages to land one (slightly under-rotated) triple axel, but for a girl who has only tried it a handful of times before, Yuuri thinks she could have a very stable jump when the Olympic season rolls around. He tells her as much. Of course, having someone who knows a little more about coaching than him would probably help as well.

"You don't think I can make it for Worlds?" Mila is not one to get discouraged easily, but she is still just an eighteen year old.

"Realistically, there's probably not enough time to get it stable, but I managed to land a quad flip at the end of my free skate with only two weeks practice. The axel is a different jump though, so you should only practice it under supervision and when you're in good condition, but if you train hard then you could make it work at Worlds."

Mila beams, and thanks him for the advice. She leaves and Yuuri stays for another hour to practice his flip.

* * *

Viktor comes back to coach Yuuri the next day, and the day after that he is back on the ice for his own training. They don't have time for another date night before Four Continents rolls around. They drop Makkachin off at Lilia (and Yakov's) place and head to the airport. The flight is over ten hours long and they have a layover in Moscow, so Yuuri is resigned to sleep through all of it. His one superpower in life is the ability to fall asleep in planes.

"Yuuri~" Viktor says for the third time. They still have about seven hours of airtime left. "If you sleep all the time you won't be tired when we land."

"I think you underestimate how much I can sleep."

"You can't sleep a whole day away."

"Viktor, we're stuck on a plane, what else would you like me to do?"

"Watch a movie with me?"

Yuuri sighs. Viktor won't let him sleep, but he supposes that watching a movie would be nice.

"Okay, what do you wanna watch?"

Viktor somehow manages to have Yuuri watch two movies with him, but after that he dozes off. They have seats in first class, but even with plenty of room to sleep, Yuuri still snuggles close to his fiancé.

"Yuuri~" Viktor pokes him again, "We're almost there."

"Five more minutes," Yuuri mumbles. Waking up is not on his schedule today.

"You can go back to sleep when we reach the hotel."

Yuuri opens his eyes. It's too bright inside the plane, and Yuuri squints until he gets used to it.

"Cute," Viktor comments. He has an open book in his hands, and by the looks of it he's almost done with it, which means he didn't sleep at all. He also has Yuuri's glasses on top of his head for safekeeping as Yuuri probably fell asleep wearing them. Yuuri reaches out a hand, but instead of just handing him the glasses, Viktor puts them on for him. It's a sweet gesture, but Yuuri just groans. He's still tired.

* * *

Yuuri yawns all the way through the airport, and if it wasn't for Viktor going over their entire plan for the week during the cab ride, he would have fallen back asleep.

"How are you so sleepy?" Viktor asks when he guides Yuuri through the hotel, "You slept for like five hours in the plane."

"How are you not tired? It's 3 in the morning."

"Not in St. Petersburg."

"But we're not in St. Petersburg," Yuuri says, perfectly aware that he's making no sense.

Viktor just shakes his head and guides Yuuri to their room, where he promptly collapses on the bed and falls asleep.

* * *

Yuuri wakes up early the next morning, which is unusual in the sense that he always sleeps in if there is no alarm, but also expected since he was practically in a coma yesterday. Viktor is still sleeping soundly beside him, and Yuuri expects Viktor to wake up when they have to do something like eat breakfast or go to practice.

Yuuri reaches over for his phone - which Viktor has kindly plugged in for him - and opens instagram. Yuuri doesn't really know when anyone will arrive, but he knows that Viktor had scheduled that they would arrive rather early to allow Yuuri to adjust to the time zone. He always had the worst jetlags. From the latest instagram posts, Yuuri assumes that Phichit is on his way (his last post was of him in a Starbucks in Suvarnabhumi Airport), Seung-gil has already been here for about a day (there's a video of him doing a quad loop in Gangneung Ice Arena) and JJ hasn't left Canada yet (his instagram story features him at a hockey game in Toronto). The silence on both Guang-Hong and Leo's instagrams would suggest that they are on their way too. Otabek's last post is from New Years, so he could be on the moon for all Yuuri knows. Yuuri's fellow Japanese skater (national silver medalist Takuya) doesn't have any social media accounts, but Yuuri has a joint interview with him the day before the short program.

Yuuri scrolls through some more social media before Viktor starts waking up. Even if it's to combat Yuuri's bad jetlag, he is glad that they arrived early. Four Continents is taking place in the arena where the Olympics will be held in a year's time. Every skater coming to the competition will do their utmost to get a feel of the ice, the rink and the atmosphere. If Yuuri can recall Viktor's rundown of their plan, Yuuri has a scheduled practice session with a couple of other skaters around noon. However, it is still early in the week, and he knows that at least JJ hasn't arrived yet, so hopefully it will be close to empty.

Viktor wakes up before his alarm, and they order breakfast.

"We'll do a few exercises today just so that you can get the feel of the ice," Viktor says between mouthfuls of a pancake (Viktor has the least strict diet Yuuri has ever encountered), "When we get to your runthrough, don't do the jumps. Depending on your form and how many people show up, we'll go through your triple axel or leave."

"Why the axel?" Yuuri asks, because that is the one jump he only flops on an extremely bad day.

"The point of the first session isn't so much practicing, but mostly getting used to the rink, especially a rink as important as this one. We'll work on your jumps tomorrow."

"Okay," Yuuri says, "I trust you."

* * *

They arrive at the rink a little before noon, and ignore the few journalists who are there. Viktor assures them that once Yuuri is done with practice he'll give an interview. The rink is, as expected, almost empty with the exception of a young skater from the Philippines, who seems very much focused on his own stuff. They acknowledge each other with a small, awkward wave, and Yuuri hears Viktor suppressing a laugh. Giddy Viktor disappears the moment Yuuri takes to the ice.

They follow Viktor's plan for the practice session except for at the end where Yuuri feels really good and does an impromptu quad toe loop. He sees Viktor sigh, and decides to continue on with his cool down. When he comes to the board Viktor has a somewhat disappointed look on his face, but Yuuri knows that it's just for show. It's to not encourage Yuuri to just do whatever he wants. Yuuri apologizes half-heartedly and Viktor lets it go. Then there are the interviews.

They're all Japanese journalists, which makes sense because Yuuri has not made any media appearances since he won Nationals. Viktor has already prepared him for the inevitability of a hungry media and prepared him for what they might ask.

"Your practice was quite short, and you didn't jump at all in your runthrough. Are you injured or somehow in a bad condition?" Is the first question.

"My goal for this practice was not to land any jumps, but simply to experience the rink," Yuuri says, repeating what Viktor told him this morning.

"You didn't participate last year, but two years ago you captured silver at this competition. What can we expect from you this time?" Is the second question.

"My goal is to skate two clean programs, and I trust that that will be enough for me get to the top of the podium."

"So your goal is gold?" Comes a rather dumb question.

"Of course," Yuuri smiles.

"Who do you deem as your biggest rival going into the competition?" Yuuri knows this is a set up to start some fake rivalry between him and whoever he mentions, but Viktor has coached him through this.

"There are a lot of strong skaters at the competition, three of which made it to the Finals, so it's hard to pick just one. They're all formidable opponents and I hope we will all have a good competition."

After that follow a couple of questions about his program layout, and his strategy for the competition. Yuuri, somewhat skillfully, avoids the questions because Viktor had been very clear when he said not to talk about it. After almost an hour of relentless questions, Yuuri is finally allowed to leave.

* * *

"Do you have any plans tonight," Phichit asks and wiggles his eyebrows. They are both at a relatively early practice session, and are currently ignoring their coaches at the other side of the board in favor of a conversation.

"We have dinner plans," Yuuri says. He can't really elaborate because he had let Viktor to care of he details.

"Anything else?" Phichit wiggles his eyebrows some more.

"We have a competition soon," Yuuri deadpans, "No."

"But it's Valentine's. Isn't it all about sexy times?"

"You've been in America for too long."

Phichit chuckles, "You lived there longer than me, so it should have rubbed off on you too."

"You're a little too invested in my love life, don't you think?" Yuuri teases.

"Nonsense!" Phichit protests, "I have best friend privileges. Being invested in your happiness is my job. And that job includes getting you laid."

"I honestly don't think I need your help with that," Yuuri laughs.

"Are you sure? Like, really, really, sure?" Phichit smiles, and Yuuri thinks Phichit and Chris should not be allowed to spend more than an hour in the same room. Maybe even that would be too dangerous.

"Oh yeah," Yuuri responds anyway, "I think I could seduce Viktor in a garbage can."

"I'll remember that for your wedding," Phichit promises and skates off when Celestino yells at both of them like they experienced so often in Detroit. Yuuri smiles. He misses having Phichit around.

* * *

"Ready for our super romantic Valentine's date?" Viktor asks. They're still in the hotel room and Yuuri is drying his hair with a towel.

"Gimme two minutes," Yuuri responds as he tries to tame his wet hair.

"Okay~" Viktor sings and sits on the bed. Yuuri takes a look at Viktor. He looks very stunning tonight.

Yuuri had specifically requested ' no suits', because he wanted it to feel casual. Of course, 'casual + date' was not really in Viktor's vocabulary, so he still wore something that any fashionista would approve of. He's wearing a white shirt underneath an open blue dress shirt. His pants aren't exactly skinny jeans, but Yuuri had probably stared a little too long at his butt when he put them on. Under normal circumstances Viktor had a good butt, a great butt, the best butt in Yuuri's well educated opinion. The jeans somehow made his butt look even better and Yuuri really wonders what Viktor was thinking when he put them on, because he knows sex is off the table. Viktor is also wearing a simple necklace with a 'V' pendant on it. Articles have said it stands for 'Viktor', Viktor of five years ago had said it stood for 'Victory' and Viktor of five minutes ago had said it stood for 'Valentine'. As the cherry on top, Viktor has a little golden heart clip in his hair. It's weirdly cute compared to the rest of the outfit, but Viktor is just so pretty he makes it work.

"Okay, I'm ready," Yuuri says as he slicks his hair back with his hand. It definitely won't stay that way for the rest of the evening given the lack of product, but Viktor's two second stare is worth the gesture.

* * *

They don't take a cab to the place Viktor has chosen. It's a ten minute walk from their hotel, and even when Yuuri is prodding him, Viktor won't say where they're going. He just squeezes their hands together tighter and says it's a surprise.

The restaurant is located in a cellar. When they enter, Yuuri can see why Viktor chose it. It's dimly lit with lights in red and yellow paper lanterns, the thick wooden chairs and tables make it look like a setting in a fairy tale and despite the spacious dining area, there are made room for very few guests. It's the perfect environment for a date.

"Do you like it?" Viktor asks when they are seated, and Yuuri merely nods. The walls have patterns carved into them and seem to come alive with light from the lanterns. "I don't actually know what they'll serve us, but I made sure it's something you can eat."

"You don't know?" Yuuri questions, and Viktor smiles.

"They told me that this is a place for lovers, so they'll bring us something they we'll like."

"But they don't know us?"

"Yeah, well, they said if didn't like it we wouldn't have to pay, so I just assume it's good. If not I wouldn't have made the reservation." Yuuri doesn't think that makes much sense, but for some reason he thinks that anything this restaurant serves them will be good.

When the waiter comes out with their food Yuuri is reminded of their Barcelona date. The food is definitely meant to be shared, and Yuuri's first thought is that it looks a lot like Okonomiyaki. Because of Yuuri's no alcohol policy, they are given sparkling water and on the side Yuuri spots a small bowl with what he assumes is some super spicy korean hot sauce.

"If this tastes as delicious as it smells, I will never doubt your impulses ever again," Yuuri promises as they dig into the food. It does not taste like Yuuri expected, but it's definitely still delicious, but also…

"So spicy!" Viktor exclaims and reaches for his water. Yuuri does the same.

"It's so good though," Yuuri sighs and takes a second smaller bite. He is usually not one for very spicy food, but this is culinary paradise.

"I'm gonna try it with the sauce," Viktor says after his third or fourth bite and Yuuri looks at him like he's insane.

"That's literally going to kill you!"

"My life would have been good then," he proclaims and puts some sauce on his forkful of food.

"Goodbye, Viktor," Yuuri says to match the drama his fiancé is exhibiting, "I will always love you."

Viktor takes a bite and goes through about a million emotions and facial expressions, and Yuuri can't tell if he's experiencing pain or pleasure.

"I'm dying, but it's so good~" Viktor leans his head backwards and Yuuri thinks that it's definitely on purpose that this restaurant serves food that makes you think of sex, "If this is what BDSM is like, I'd be into it. Yuuri try it!"

"The death sauce or the bondage sex?" Yuuri asks with a raised eyebrow.

"It's not a death sauce. I survived!"

"Are you sure? This could be your heaven."

"This is not my heaven."

Yuuri fake gasps: "Am I not in your heaven? For shame!"

"Oh no, you are there, but we are missing a couple of dogs. A million dogs. Poodles as far as the eye can see. Did you know that the clouds are just white poodles? That's what heaven is. Poodles."

"Yeah, the sauce definitely killed you." Yuuri laughs, and for some inexplicable reason, he tries the death sauce. Yuuri joins Viktor in almost-heaven.

It's almost a shame that they can't end their Valentine's date with the best sex they've ever had, but only almost. There is something pure and innocent about coming back to the hotel and just cuddling in bed as they watch some cute dog videos. The mood is light, giddy even, as they exchange some sweet kisses and shower each other with compliments. Yuuri thinks this was the best way they could celebrate their first Valentine's.

* * *

The men's short program is on the second day of competition, so the first day is spent practicing and cheering for the people competing. There is pairs, which Yuuri has always found extremely scary because _what if you throw your partner up in the air and don't catch them?_ , but accidents rarely happen and he enjoys the competition immensely. Next is ice dance, and Yuuri admits that after Viktor had turned Stammi Vicino into an ice dance and they had started learning more about it, he held a deep respect for what they did. Last up were the woman, and the Japanese skater, Suzaki, was the favorite. Yuuri had met her quite a few times during competitions, and while they weren't really friends, she was easy to talk to. He cheered extra loud for her.

And then the next day arrived and the men were up. They had to go through the pairs free skate first, but Yuuri - and many other of his competitors - were still in the warm up area. The nervous energy from the pairs that had yet to compete was affecting Yuuri in a way he could neither describe as good or bad. On one hand, he was getting nervous before the competition had even started which was never a good sign. On the other hand, it was like he was getting energized.

When the men's event started Yuuri turned up the volume of his music. He did not need to hear any scores right now. Everyone in the warm up area seemed to be doing their own thing, and Yuuri decided to only keep Viktor in his line of sight. They had a simple code system that allowed Viktor to tell you Yuuri how much time was left until his group came up, or if he wanted Yuuri to change exercise, even if Yuuri couldn't hear him. It proved very useful because Yuuri could sort out the information he was getting.

When Viktor gives him the signal that there are two minutes left, Yuuri stops his warm up to do some breathing exercises. It was something Yakov suggested to him. Not the breathing exercises exactly, that had actually been Viktor's idea, but Yakov had said to do something before leaving the warm up area that would ground him. Force himself to calm down if even just slightly. Yuuri doesn't yet know if it will work, but he does like the idea of having a ritual. Lots of skaters have them, but Yuuri has never been one of them.

Yuuri takes to ice for the six minute warm up with a group consisting of Phichit, JJ, Otabek, Leo and the crowd favorite Seung-gil. Yuuri has, once again, been unlucky in the draw and is the first skater in the last group. Yuuri has no clue what the standings are as he takes the ice and he doubts Viktor knows either, but that's not important.

Viktor presses their foreheads together before he sends him off: "Seduce me," he whispers, as he has done so many times. Yuuri plans to do just that.

Yuuri hasn't been able to channel Eros as well as today since the Rostelecom Cup. At the finals he was too tense, too focused on the jumps to commit to the program. At nationals Viktor hadn't been there. Yuuri thinks this program is impossible to perform without Viktor there. To make the program more comfortable Yuuri has substituted his salchow for a toe loop. The quad flip is back in program, and Yuuri has been nailing it in practice pretty comfortably in the weeks leading up to the competition. The set up seems ideal for Yuuri to achieve a clean skate.

And he does. Yuuri nails every single element, and by the looks on Viktor's face, this time his presentation did not suffer the slightest. Yuuri bows to the crowd and finds himself almost stuck on the ice as the gifts rain down around him. Japan is only a couple of hours away, so it's not surprising that a lot of them have taken time to come see him. The support of Japan's Ace has never been higher.

Yuuri helps the flower girls out by picking up a few flowers himself. When he's holding five flowers he gets another fun idea and picks up some more. It's not as pretty as the bouquet he got Viktor after Europeans, since each flower is individually wrapped in plastic, but it's a bouquet nonetheless. He presents it to Viktor when he greets him at the gate.

"Be my Valentine?" Yuuri says just loud enough for the cameras to pick it up. Yuuri thinks that making Viktor Nikiforov blush on live international television is his greatest achievement. Viktor is, in private, a very soft person. Quick to laugh, always one to initiate hugs and cuddles. Public Viktor is quite a bit more restrained and in an effort to uphold a more professional facade, he covers his blush with the flowers. It only makes him look a lot more cute, but Yuuri decides not to mention that as they take their place in the Kiss & Cry.

Viktor seems to regain his composure while the monitor replays some moments of Yuuri's short program. Yuuri has acquired one of signature onigiri plushies, but Viktor's bouquet is definitely still more eye catching.

"I can't believe you did that," Viktor whispers. He's fiddling a little with the flowers, probably holding himself back from just peppering Yuuri with kisses. None of them have anything against public display of affection. China should be proof of that, but they do make an effort to separate their professional and romantic relationships. The keyword there being effort, because Yuuri just threw that out of the window.

They don't get a chance to continue their conversation when they show up on the monitor. They both wave and Viktor does his little heart with his hands. Now for the scores.

"Yuuri Katsuki's score for the short program is… 116.37. That's his season's best score and it brings him currently in first place."

For all the attitude and confidence Yuuri showed just a few seconds ago, the score brings him back to earth and he can hardly form a single thought. He can't really see the screen that displays the score, but he knows what he heard and the fact that Viktor is shaking him passionately just brings home the fact that he just beat his own personal best by almost 7 points. Viktor is chanting Yuuri's name, there are loud cheers all around and Yuuri thinks he might actually start crying. Prior to this season he hadn't even been close to reaching the 100 point barrier, and now he's passed it three time, getting a personal best each time he did so.

But the cheering slowly dies down and it's time for the next skater to take the ice. Yuuri and Viktor take a few pictures in the Kiss & Cry before Yuuri is whisked away to the green room, where current second place, Leo, is waiting. There is another American sitting in third at the moment, and Yuuri greets him despite not knowing a whole lot about him. He just came out of juniors with a lot of quads and not a whole lot of personality on ice. The complete opposite of Leo.

"Congratulations!" Leo exclaims and gives him fist bump.

"You too," Yuuri reponds, he had been briefed on the standings and scores of the current top three before coming to the green room, "A new personal best. And above 90 too. I couldn't even do that when I was doing one quad, and you had none!" Yuuri really likes Leo's style of skating, and while they are competitors, Yuuri is happy to see Leo's musicality and attention to detail rewarded.

"Yes, I- Oh My God!" Leo suddenly interrupts himself, and Yuuri immediately looks at the screen displaying the competition (Thank God he's wearing his glasses again). He just catches Otabek get up after a fall.

"Was that his combination?" Yuuri asks bewildered. He has never seen Otabek fall on a jump - although he's seen him fall rather undignified on a spin - and he has a hard time believing that it just happened.

"I think so." Leo says, clearly just as surprised. They both abandon their conversation in favour of following the competition.

Otabek finishes the program as if he hadn't made any mistakes, but having missed the combination, he'll probably find himself with his lowest score of the season. He gets 84.67. It's seven points below Leo and almost thirty points below his personal best. He barely beats the other American out of third, but with another four strong skaters yet to come, it would be almost impossible for Otabek to even stay in the top five.

"Good fight," Leo says when Otabek joins them in the green room.

"I'll make it up in the free," he promises and Yuuri is sure he will. Otabek has a strong free skate.

The next one up is the home crowd favorite, Seung-gil. Yuuri thinks any other skater would have let the pressure get to him, but Seung-gil has a strong mentality and skates a flawless program. Yuuri had always thought that Viktor would be the first to land the quad loop in competition (He'd been the first to both the flip and the lutz, even if Chris had followed soon after on the latter), but Seung-gil had shown up last season with a gorgeous loop that Viktor had only ever done in practice. He goes flying past Leo, and lands himself with a solid second place with a new personal best. Yuuri is still comfortably in first place, but if he makes a mistake in the free and Seung-gil goes clean, he could very well overtake him. And they still have three skaters left.

JJ has the highest base value (after Yuuri) coming into the competition, and with a personal best just three points under Yuuri's score and a wish of redemption after his disastrous short program at the finals, Yuuri expects JJ to show why his fans call him 'the king'. JJ has an almost flawless program. He doubles the last part of the combination, but it's far from a big mistake. JJ skates himself into third, less than a point separating himself and Seung-gil.

Yuuri cheers extra loudly when it's Phichit's turn, and he's exceptionally happy when Phichit goes clean. He goes into fourth with a new personal best, but Yuuri notes that his and Phichit's component scores were identical. This is the first time Phichit has scored over 100 points, and while Phichit isn't really allowed in the green room, he makes a quick appearance to take a selfie with Yuuri, Seung-gil and JJ.

Last up is Guang-Hong, and while his skate is far from flawless, he keeps off Leo and finishes in the top five. And that concludes the short program. Yuuri is immediately whisked off with Seung-gil and JJ for a press conference, where he possibly gives the most dull answers he's ever given the press. After a thousand pictures have been taken, Viktor takes Yuuri away from the media and they go back to the hotel.

* * *

Yuuri comes out of the shower and immediately notices the flowers he gave Viktor after his short program: "Where did you get a vase from?"

"I asked for one at the reception," Viktor smiles. He's sitting on the bed, taking notes as he watches Yuuri's short program back. He was doing the same thing when Yuuri entered the shower, and Yuuri finds it hard to believe that Viktor can analyse his program that much.

"How are you still watching it?"

Viktor laughs a little: "I keep getting distracted and forget taking notes."

"Good thing you're not a judge then," Yuuri climbs in beside Viktor, "So, how is it looking?"

"Well, your grade of execution on your combination is a bit low, but that's the result of changing the jump, so that's on me. We're going to put your salchow back in at worlds, so with the added base value and a higher grade of execution, I think you could get close to 120."

"Ambitious," Yuuri comments, and leans in closer.

"Ambitious would be putting the flip in combination. This, my dear student, is a realistic goal that I am sure you can execute beautifully."

* * *

They have a rest day, where Yuuri practices his free skate and watches Japan take home gold in the women's event. Yuuri is determined to follow suit and bring home another win for Japan.

* * *

Yuuri has no luck, and once again draws to go first in the final group. Otabek is exceptionally in first place, over twenty points separate him and second place, but with his low score in the short program, Yuuri doesn't even need 200 points to overtake him.

While Yuuri is by no means calm, he is definitely far from the mess he was at Cup of China where the pressure of being first after the short nearly destroyed his chances of a medal. Viktor kisses his ring for good luck and sends him off as Yuuri's name is called out.

Now, with the attention Yuuri has been giving to the quad flip, he may have neglected his practice with the other quads, and while he gets flawlessly through his first quad combination at the top of the program, his lovely enemy, the quad salchow, comes back with a vengeance. Yuuri knows as he takes off that this won't end well, and he underrotates and falls. Yuuri quickly gets up again and is determined to not let it get to him. He had a good lead after the short, so he can afford one mistake.

The next element is a spin and that gives Yuuri confidence as he moves into the third jumping pass; a nice and simple triple loop. He nails it and moves on with the program. He's determined not to lose his charm in the choreographic sequence, and he allows himself to get lost in the program. Unfortunately, he is brought back to reality when he has to step out of his triple lutz and can't finish his combination. The stumble takes a lot of energy out of him and he needs speed if he is to land his quad flip. He'll have to sacrifice some transitions, but when he nails the flip, it becomes worth it.

Yuuri ends with something that's not quite disappointment, but it's hard to celebrate with two mistakes that might have cost him the gold. Viktor is smiling at him though, so the program was definitely there, it's only a matter of how much those two mistakes cost him.

"The salchow is my fault," Viktor says in the Kiss & Cry, "I know it's inconsistent and I almost completely ignored it because we took it out of the short… The lutz is on you though."

Yuuri can't help but laugh: "I guess we know what to work on before worlds then."

Yuuri gets a couple of points over 200, but with his score in the short program, he beats his personal best from the Finals with roughly two points. It's a great score.

But now Yuuri has to go through watching five more skaters who could push him of the podium. Guang-Hong is next. He sets a personal best, but it's only enough to get third place. Leo is next and immediately pushes Guang-Hong of the podium to take third. Then it's Phichit's turn to change the placements, and he finishes just six points shy of the 300 mark, but puts himself in second and Otabek in third.

And then it's JJ. Yuuri is fully aware that JJ has every chance to take gold now if he can score around his personal best. JJ starts strong with a quad lutz, a jump that in quality is only beaten by Chris, and it seems to give JJ a confidence boost. He soars through the free program with no visible mistakes and Yuuri can see that JJ's technical score has already far surpassed his own. The results will come down to the lead Yuuri had, as well as the component scores where Yuuri usually has JJ beaten.

The audience explodes when JJ scores a personal best and bumps Yuuri out of first by two points. This means that even with Otabek's great comeback, he is now off the podium and Phichit's fate lies in the hands of Seung-gil who is closing the event.

Seung-gil lands another flawless quad loop, but has a step out on the triple flip, and misses a combination after his triple axel. Seung-gil beats Phichit for the bronze by eight points.

While Yuuri is satisfied with his results, he does feel slightly tired of seeing nothing but silver. At the press conference he swears he'll take gold at the World Championships. He has the fourth highest score of the season, but has yet to skate two clean programs. That will be the goal at worlds.

At the banquet Yuuri does not drink, despite how much both Phichit and Viktor try to make him. At worlds Chris will be joining them in their relentless peer pressure, so he thinks drunk Yuuri might make an appearance then. He invites Phichit over in the summer, which Phichit gladly accepts. _It's so hot in Thailand,_ Phichit complains, _Detroit made me like the cold!_

The banquet ends when they run out of food, and the skaters go back to the hotel together where they chat in the lobby. Yuuri and Viktor have an early flight in the morning, so they excuse themselves rather early into the night.

"Worlds will be fun," Viktor says just before Yuuri falls asleep. Viktor has been on top for so long, and for the first time in years, everyone else is catching up.

"I'll beat you," Yuuri says just as sleep claims him, "I'll beat you and get my gold medal."

* * *

 **1) For anyone interested but unwilling to do the math (which is fine, leave that to me), the scores for the competition were rougly:**

 **JJ - SP: 109.77 FS: 214.04 = 323.81**

 **Yuuri - SP: 116.37 FS: 205.23 = 321.60**

 **Seung-gil - SP: 109.03 FS: 193.38 = 302.41**

 **Phichit - SP: 104.59 FS: 189.82 = 294.41**

 **Otabek - SP: 84. 67 FS: 208.78 =293.45**

 **Leo - SP: 91.82 FS: 182.99 = 274.81**

 **Guang-Hong - SP: 93.12 FS: 178.52 = 271.64**

 **2) And for anyone who wants to keep track, the top 5 scores then set in this season are.**

 **Chris: 324.? (Europeans)**

 **JJ: 323.81 (4CC)**

 **Viktor: 322.06 (Europeans)**

 **Yuuri: 321.60 (4CC)**

 **Yurio: 319.53 (GPF)**


	4. Worlds: Short Program

**Warning: There are mild descriptions of a panic attack in the beginning of the chapter, so if you don't want to read, just skip to the first line -**

 **Fact of the Chapter: How to decide skate order: YoI mostly used the method of 'worst goes first, best goes last', but I don't think that's been done since the 15-16 season (someone correct me if I'm wrong), so use I the current method, which is that the groups are decided by world standings, and the order within that group is then decided by a random draw. For the free skate the groups are decided by how did they did in the short, but again with a random draw to find out skating order.**

* * *

It's about a week before they leave for Worlds that Yuuri has first official panic attack. The cause is probably a mixture of the increased media attention he is getting (and he hasn't even given any interviews), and the immense pressure he is putting on himself because he wants to win so badly. Then there is also the fact that Worlds is the biggest competition of the season, and that his placement will directly relate to how many skaters Japan will be allowed to bring to next year's worlds. And, oh yeah, also how many skaters they can bring to fricking Olympics. A top two finish will guarantee a spot for three skaters, and hopefully help revive the lost glory of men's figure skating in Japan. Needless to say, Yuuri feels a lot of pressure about the upcoming competition, and it doesn't help that he has literally gotten nothing but silver medals in all international competitions this damned season.

And at some point all the pressure just gets to Yuuri. It's late into the night, and Viktor is pretty much dead on his feet as he goes through the last bit of his evening routine. Yuuri is already sitting in bed, half listening to Viktor as he shuffles about, and is scrolling through some news articles on his phone. It's a bad habit, he knows, but he can't help himself. He starts fidgeting first, and stops reading the article. Then, in an effort to fight off the attack, he concentrates on his breathing, but then panics further when he can't stop himself from hyperventilating. He throws his phone aside and rests his head in his hands, trying to focus on his breathing and nothing else. Yuuri always hates how he knows the mechanics of a panic attack, yet whenever they overwhelm him, he can't do anything about it.

He notices Viktor by his side almost immediately after he has lowered his head, but the last thing he needs right now is to be touched, comforted or doted on in any kind of way, so he ignores him. When Viktor leaves, Yuuri doesn't know if he should feel relieved that he's alone or abandoned because shouldn't Viktor have stayed?

Yuuri's breathing gets faster and shorter before he starts calming down, and the anxiety naturally wears off. Yuuri can feel that he has been crying, even if he hadn't quite noticed it in the moment. His glasses are unexplainably on the bedside table along with the Makkachin tissue box that definitely wasn't there before. Yuuri dries his eyes, but keeps the glasses off. They're not going to do him any good anyway. Yuuri leans back on the headboard and takes a couple of more deep breaths. Yuuri is lucky in the regard that unless he is under an enormous amount of pressure and stress, he rarely experiences consecutive panic attacks. It happened often when he was younger, but ever since learning what it was, it took some of the panic away, since he no longer kept thinking that he was going to die.

Yuuri hears Viktor come back into the bedroom, but before he settles in besides him, he places something on the bedside table. Yuuri knows it's a cup of chamomile tea without even looking.

"Thanks," he mutters, but doesn't make an effort to get it. He just stays where he is.

"Of course," Viktor replies softly, "I'm here if you want anything."

Viktor silently keeps to his side of the bed. He should probably sleep, since they both have a busy schedule tomorrow, but Yuuri knows Viktor won't settle until he says he's fine.

About two minutes pass with nothing but silence between them, and Yuuri takes a sip of the tea.

"It's good." Yuuri says. It's to acknowledge Viktor more than it is to say that tea is actually good. He isn't really tasting the tea, but the warmth is comforting.

Viktor remains silent. He seems to be browsing on his phone, but one glance at him and Yuuri can tell that his eyes aren't focused. It's his way of looking after Yuuri without intruding where he's clearly not wanted.

Yuuri finishes half of the cup, before he feels settled enough to just… let it go. For now. He moves closer to Viktor and allows himself to be embraced.

"Better?" Viktor whispers ever so softly.

"Yeah."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Ask again tomorrow," he says. Communication is good, but Yuuri's mind is too exhausted, " is shutting down."

Yuuri falls asleep before he hears Viktor wishing him a good night.

* * *

Yuuri wakes up the next morning with his head still resting on Viktor's chest. He can tell before he opens his eyes that Viktor is awake.

"What time is it?"

"Just before eight. No need to get up yet."

"One more hour then."

"Isn't it usually 'five more minutes'?"

"Only cowards ask for five more minutes."

Viktor chuckles, and Yuuri squeezes him a little to keep him steady. He doesn't want his pillow to move.

"I don't mind letting you sleep a little longer, but I do need to get up to make breakfast."

Yuuri grunts, and rolls over. He still hasn't opened his eyes and flails blindly for a few seconds until he locates Makkachin.

"You won't leave me, right Makka?" He takes the wet doggy kisses as a 'yes'.

"So dramatic," Viktor says as he fumbles out of bed.

"I don't want to hear that from you." Yuuri says weakly as he falls back asleep.

* * *

Viktor literally drags Yuuri out of bed and sits him down at the table. Yuuri has to resist the urge to just lay down again and go to sleep.

"Come on, sleeping beauty, breakfast will wake you up."

"That's not how the story goes," Yuuri protests and gets a kiss in response.

"Then how about that? Now the curse is lifted."

"Mmm~" Yuuri ponders, "I don't think it worked, try again."

Viktor does, and Yuuri starts actually waking up.

They eat breakfast while Viktor catches him up on what is happening in the skating world. Yuuri has left his phone in the bedroom with no desire to really look at it.

"Have you thought about World Team Trophy?"

Yuuri is taken a little aback by that question, "Not really. I didn't even go last time because I had exams."

"I think you should go. It would be a lot of fun. And a chance to compete in Japan. We can go to Hasetsu afterwards."

"I suppose. What about you?"

"I think I'll take part as team Japan. Let Georgi and Yurio participate."

"I mean… You can't really skate for us."

Viktor laughs, "I meant as a coach. It would be a waste not to go at least. It's so much fun."

Yuuri has to agree with him. World Team Trophy is a competition that exists as an excuse for the skaters and the judges to just have a party on live television on the basis that they give out some medals by the end. It's the kind of thing that only makes sense that Japan invented.

The conversation goes back to whatever is happening on instagram, before Viktor brings up the panic attack.

"Wanna talk about it?" Viktor asks again like he did last night, and Yuuri sighs.

"I'm just stressed about Worlds, I think," Yuuri explains, "I want to win so badly and you know how I put pressure on myself," Viktor nods, he knows all too well, "But I've never had other people like… Japan, or fans or whatever wanting me to win too, so there's just… pressure." Yuuri makes a gesture with his hands to emphasize.

"I see," Viktor says thoughtfully. He remains silent for almost a minute, as if trying to find a solution. Yuuri kind of wants to tell him that he won't get anywhere, because if there was a cure for anxiety, Yuuri would probably have heard of it.

"How about doing an interview?" Viktor suggests and Yuuri stares blankly at him, "I'm sure all those Japanese journalists would give their first born child for an interview with you. How about it? We could invite them here. Maybe they could see the rink, take a couple of photos."

"I don't see how that's going to help at all."

"Well, I don't know yet, but I don't see anything wrong with trying, right?"

Yuuri squints his eyes at him, trying to figure out what he's thinking. Yuuri has gotten much better at reading Viktor now that he's no longer denying that Viktor is in love with him, but sometimes… well, sometimes Viktor does things like this which has Yuuri baffled.

"Okay," Yuuri exhales, "I trust you."

* * *

So Viktor sets up a meeting with a couple of journalists. Viktor makes certain that they will work together, and give different stories, even though they will be together. Yuuri has only ever seen journalists fight each other over who would get the best story, but Viktor seems to have everything - and everyone - under control.

The evening before Yuuri is set to meet with them, Viktor briefs him.

"There are three reporters plus a photographer," he says, "One of them will do a piece on your training life in St. Petersburg, one will do a piece about your expectations for worlds, and the last one will do a more personal interview. Of course I've made sure that they won't ask anything you would be uncomfortable with."

Yuuri nods along as Viktor goes through how the day will proceed. For a guy Yurio constantly deems as 'forgetful', Viktor has a lot of details momerized. 'Selective memory', Georgi had said one day. Viktor is the kind of person who can give you a detailed summary of the first book he ever read, but forget about having a dentist appointment five minutes after his phone notified him. Yuuri has come to realize Viktor is very good at remembering things about Yuuri.

* * *

Yuuri meets the reporters at the rink. One of them ask about the facilities, and the weather, and how much he works with other coaches. Another one asks whether the sudden change of environment has helped or hindered him in the preparations to worlds. The last one asks about Makkachin, since they had taken their poodle with them to think rink today. Yuuri probably gives the longest answer about Makkachin, because who couldn't talk about a cute dog all day.

Practice is rather light because he has to pose for photos, and he doesn't want to be a sweaty mess. They take pictures of Yuuri as he does a light runthrough of his free skate, they take pictures when he talks to Viktor at the boards, and when he drinks water or basically does anything. Yurio comes in by the end of Yuuri's practice, and after a little persuasion and the promise of food, Yurio agrees to take some photos with him.

"I want rice," Yurio says after the photos have been taken, "Lilia can't make rice for shit."

Yuuri then answers some questions about his relationship with the other skaters at the rink, Yurio in particular, and shuts down the idea that any of them are unfriendly even if they are competitors.

"It's like playing board games with your family," Yuuri explains, not really knowing why this was the first analogy he thought of, "You all want to win, and you might even throw some of the games pieces at each other, but at the end of the day, you're family."

The reporters look a little perplexed before they ask the next question about ice times, and how he deals with morning practice. Japanese media knows that Yuuri is not a morning person. There is a story there about how Yuuri almost fell asleep on a morning show, but no one needs to know about that particular incident. Yuuri says it helps that Viktor is there to drag him out of bed, but he would have preferred if practice was a little later. Of course, it can't be helped because Viktor has his own practice to do, and he could just learn to go to bed earlier.

After the practice session, Yuuri has a little bit of time on his own as he gets dressed into some new clothes. Viktor had been the one to choose the outfit, and has even given Yuuri some of his clothes to wear, because apparently Yuuri doesn't own anything that would fit this particular kind of interview. Yuuri decided to not even ask what he meant by that.

As Yuuri leaves the changing rooms, Viktor has already finished his warm-up and is currently going through his short program. From the lack of yelling, Yuuri assumes the Viktor is doing quite well. Yuuri says goodbye to Makkachin, who will be going home with Viktor, and leaves with the reporters. They go to a café that is halfway between the rink and their apartment and as Yuuri gets his tea, a reporters asks if that's his regular order. Yuuri laughs a little and says it helps whenever he's feeling homesick. He does not mention the fact that he can't even drink coffee because the caffeine does not mix well with anxiety.

The interview is actually quite pleasant. It's refreshing to be talking in his native language again (with Viktor it's always a fun mix of Japanese, English and little Russian, so that doesn't count.), and it's weird how talking about Worlds and his expectations for it makes him calmer. If this was what Viktor had planned all along, he is damn genius. Or maybe he just knows Yuuri better than he knows himself.

There comes a point though, where Yuuri is quite comfortable, and the warm coffee shop has him quite relaxed as the Russian winter blazes on outside. Yuuri has never been good with interviews, mainly because he's a very private person and sometimes doesn't know what to say, but also because sometimes his mouth seems to have its own agenda. Like when he accidentally confessed his love for Viktor on live television. So Yuuri is there, in the coffee shop, relaxed, a little tired because it's late and after practice, and he's been with people all day, and he gets a funny little question.

"What's your favorite thing about Viktor?" The reporter asks. She's the one making an article about his private life, and she has been very nice and kept all the questions light and allowed Yuuri to choose in how much detail he wants to answer each question.

And the thing is. Yuuri wants to make a joke, but unfortunately his tired voice makes it seem like Yuuri is dead serious when he says it: "Definitely his ass." Yuuri answers, and doesn't really catch as the reporters eye each other, "But don't tell Chris I said that. He would send me a powerpoint on why his ass is better." If Yuuri had laughed at the end maybe it would have made it seem like a joke, but he doesn't. It takes Yuuri a couple of seconds to notice that they don't think he's joking.

"Please don't take that seriously!" Yuuri bursts out, flustered and slightly embarrassed, "Obviously, that's a joke. Or maybe not 'obviously', but it's a joke, oh my God." Yuuri gathers his thoughts because he obviously still hasn't answered the question, and if this goes in an article, he will hide under the bed for a week.

"Um, my favorite thing about Viktor... there are lot of things," Yuuri says quickly, "He's very considerate of my feelings… wait that sounds weird, um, I think it's hard to pick one thing. Viktor is a lot of things, and he surprises you everyday with something, it could be a new idea or a spontaneous thought, and it makes every day fun and something new. So I guess what I'm saying is that my favorite thing about him is that he's always exciting..." Yuuri trails off. He went from making a bad joke to babbling about why, essentially, he's in love with Viktor.

Another reporter salvages the conversation by asking about the consistency of his quads.

After two hours in the coffee shop, the photographer takes his last set of photos and the interview is officially over. Yuuri thanks them for coming all the way to Russia just see him, and they say it's their pleasure, as they take off for their hotel. Yuuri makes a small grocery run before he goes home.

Yurio is already there when he arrives. There is towel around his neck which means he used their shower, so he's probably been here for some time.

"You're out of juice," Yurio says without looking up from his phone. The tv is on in the background, and there are two empty cartons of juice on the table.

"That's okay, I bought some before I came." Yuuri moves into the kitchen, and sorts through the groceries, "Are you staying the night?" The apartment has a guest room, where Viktor used to store various things like plushies or fanmail. Now it's just slowly turning into Yurio's room.

"Yeah, it's too cold to go back out. Besides, school is closer from here."

Yuuri smiles. Him and Viktor are considering buying some things for Potya, so that Yurio can bring his cat and stay for more than two days. It's partly to spend more time with him, but also to save him from Lilia and Yakov. Viktor had been in the same living situation when he was younger, and he says that even when they got along it was hell. So they feel obligated to help Yurio out a little.

They settle into a comfortable silence as Yurio plays on his phone. The tv is showing some sort of russian sitcom that Yuuri doesn't know, but he's just assuming that Yurio follows it because he sometimes giggles when one of the characters deliver what Yuuri guesses is the punchline to a joke.

Yuuri is halfway through dinner when he hears the door open and soon after Makkachin runs over to greet him. Yuuri momentarily abandons dinner for the excited dog. When Makkachin has successfully covered Yuuri in dog saliva, the poddle jumps to join Yurio on the couch. The two of them get settled as Yurio gives a quick 'hi' to Viktor.

"He's certainly quiet today," Viktor comments as he gives Yuuri a kiss.

"I think he's just tired."

"You look quite tired too," Viktor says, "Well, you've had a busy day, so that makes sense. Need any help?"

"Chop these for me," Yuuri says and hands him some green onions. "You can make the salad afterwards."

"Yes, chef!" Viktor says obediently and Yuuri just shakes his head.

"You should talk like that to Yakov more, and maybe he'd be less angry," Yurio interjects from the couch. He's still not looking in their direction.

"That'd be no fun!" Viktor protests and Yuuri laughs. They continue with dinner preparations.

"You seem less stressed," Viktor comments, and Yuuri shoots him a glance as to ask what he means, "You've been quite tense lately, especially with the interview coming up, but obviously that's my fault, but even before that… ah, but you know that, anyway, you're more relaxed now."

"Yeah," Yuuri says to gather his thoughts, "I think it was good for me. The interview. Did you predict that?"

"Educated guess," Viktor reponds, "You always tense up when you aren't sharing what's on your mind, so I thought it might help if you talked to someone who wasn't me."

"Why not have me talk to Phichit then? Or maybe my family?"

"Well, I thought it'd be better if you talked to someone you didn't really know, but also it's important to give the media something. I think if you'd just let the pressure build up and then had to give your first interview when he land in Helsinki, it'd be worse. And now you'll probably have less questions to answer, so you can focus on yourself."

"And people say that you're a bad coach," Yuuri says and shakes his head.

Viktor laughs: "Only the best for my love."

* * *

Yuuri doesn't actually notice how tense he had been before he goes back onto the ice and lands his quads with far more ease than earlier in the month. Yuuri thinks that now he is ready for Worlds. Viktor seems to agree.

* * *

The day before they leave for Helsinki, the articles come out, and of course Viktor gets his hands on the magazines. Yuuri honestly doesn't remember much of what he said during the interview, but Viktor is about to change that.

"My butt is my best feature?" Viktor says out loud. Yuuri has yet notice what he's reading.

"Who said that?" Yuuri asks. Viktor's butt is his. Everyone else is only allowed to look.

"You did," Viktor points out and holds up the magazine. Yuuri is on the front page together with Viktor and Yurio. The picture is from the rink. It's quite good, but Yuuri can't dwell on that because…

"I did what now?" Yuuri comes up from behind Viktor and skims the interview until he finds passage.

When asked to describe Viktor Nikiforov's best feature, Katsuki immediately cites his fiancé's butt. He quickly reassures us that of course he is only joking, but with the rather incoherent answer he gives afterwards, you have to wonder about the precise nature of Nikiforov's assets...

"Oh my God..." Yuuri says slowly and buries his head in Viktor's shoulder, "Please kill me."

"I will do no such thing," Viktor says as he continues reading, "But please tell me that you gave more comments like that."

Yuuri groans. This is why he shouldn't give interviews.

* * *

They land in Helsinki five days before the short program starts. The time difference is only an hour, so Yuuri doesn't really need time to adjust. The only reason that they are a little early is to allow Yuuri to maintain a balance between practice and media appearances.

Viktor and Yuuri, unfortunately, don't get to spend a lot of time together since Viktor also has his own interviews to do, as well as his own practice. Viktor has, if reluctantly, allowed Yakov to take some of his coaching responsibilities, because they have to share ice time with other skaters, so they have no say in when they have the rink.

The most time they get to spend together is the day before they have to skate the short program and they are watching the other competitors. The highlight of the day is obviously the women's competition. Viktor and Yuuri have brought banners for Mila, and some flags to cheer on their countrymen. Both of them get slightly nervous when Mila takes to the ice, because her triple axel is still a little unreliable, but she has chosen to gamble and put it in both her short program and free skate. They both hold their breath as she takes off and they jump from their seats when she lands it beautifully. Mila finishes a flawless short program and is in first with only two competitors remaining. Yuuri's countryman skates herself to a temporary second, until Sara comes in and takes that spot. This is the first time Mila has ever beaten Sara, and even if it's just the short program, Yuuri is sure she is beaming.

They don't have time for a cute date this time around, but it's fine. Yuuri doesn't feel like he needs the distraction anymore.

* * *

The short program starts early, and Yuuri promptly ignores all the reporters who try to ask him questions as he makes his way to his final practice. Viktor is a bit nicer and answers a couple of questions briefly. He also persuades the media to not bother Yuuri until after the short program.

Their final practice is sorted into the groups they'll be skating in. They had drawn starting order the previous evening, and Yuuri is lucky in the sense that he's second to last to skate, but unlucky in the sense that Viktor is last, so he can't be with him in the kiss and cry. At least he can send him off.

Yuuri goes through the motions in the practice and when it ends, he feels ready to take on the world. They still have to wait a couple of hours until they have to skate though. Viktor and Yuuri are both in the seventh and last group, which means that they have roughly five hours to kill before it's their turn.

The warm-up area is located in a weird place. It's very close to the rink, and Yuuri gives up on tuning out the sound of the audience coming from the rink. Looking around he can see that Viktor and a few others have given up on that too. Yuuri and Viktor do a couple of exercises together - like throwing a ball while balancing on one leg - but otherwise keep to themselves.

When group 5 comes up, Yuuri gives a good luck to Takuya (it's his first worlds, so he's going to need it) and fistbumps Leo on his way out. It's impossible not to follow the competition due to the literally dozens of screens everywhere. It's something Yuuri thinks he will always hate, but he supposes that at some point he gets used to it. Takuya is third after his short program, and Leo who finishes up group five takes a comfortable lead.

When group six is up, Yuuri only wishes Phichit good luck.

It's only when Georgi, who is first to skate, gets his scores that Yuuri starts to notice that the judging panel is a little strict. It's not unusual for the judging to change from competition to competition, and the casual spectator might not catch it. It's part of the sport, but Yuuri had hoped to take home a couple of personal bests. He'll have to fight a little harder for it. Despite a score that looks a little low (Yuuri would have added half a point to his component score, but as long the judging is consistent it doesn't really matter), Georgi still takes first place.

Guang-Hong makes a mistake on his triple axel, and it puts him three points after Georgi, but a point ahead of Leo. The competition sharpens up when Seung-gil takes to the ice. There has yet to be a flawless free skate from the top competitors, and Seung-gil unfortunately follows that pattern. He lands another perfect quad loop, but struggles with his combination. He goes into the lead, but it's over ten points under the score he set at Four Continents.

Michele is the first one to lay down a perfect program, and Yuuri thinks that another judging panel would have given him 100 points. This panel gives him 99.28, and he becomes the person to beat. Phichit who follows him misses his opportunity to overtake him as he touches down after his quad toe loop, but takes second place only a point behind. Emil finishes up the group and skates into fourth. The top three before the final group is Michele, Phichit and Seung-gil. No one has broken 100 points yet, but all six in the final group has done it in this season, so it's only a matter of time.

After the ice has been resurfaced, group seven takes to the ice. Yuuri is faintly aware of the announcer that introduces all the skaters to the crowd. Yuuri really wants his best achievement to be better than second place and jumps a quad flip as the announcer cites his silvers. When Viktor gets introduced as the reigning world and olympic champion, it finally hits Yuuri that he's actually competing against Viktor. It's the first time since the disaster in Sochi. Yuuri is getting excited.

The warm-up ends and Otabek goes first. After his performance at Four Continents, he undoubtedly has something to prove. It's no surprise that he goes over the 100 point mark, but some shaky landings has him quite a few points under the personal best he set at the Finals.

The camera just catches as Otabek cheers on Yurio, who looks like he is here to take another record. Yuuri doubts that it will happen. Not because Yurio isn't capable, but because his technical content is a little lower than in the Finals, and of course, the strict judges. But Yurio isn't messing around, and the short program is his strength. He falls just short of 110 and Yuuri thinks he will be hard to beat. But not impossible.

Chris get's damn close though, but just like everyone else, he falls short on a personal best, and just like at Europeans, he's just a little point away from Yurio. Yuuri starts his final preparations as JJ takes the ice. He does his breathing exercises as the audience celebrates JJ's program. Yuuri and Viktor walk to the rink together, and as JJ leaves the ice to get his score, Yuuri does some triples to get his legs going. He skates over to Viktor as JJ gets his score. He barely breaks 100 points, so he must have made a mistake Yuuri missed.

"I know you've followed everyone else's scores," Viktor says just before Yuuri is called to the ice, "Don't think about it. I'm still here. Skate for me."

The announcer calls his name and Yuuri gives Viktor a quick kiss and skates out to greet the audience. Yuuri let's his determination fuel him through the program. Despite the fact that Viktor is next, Yuuri still spots him, watching just as intensely as he would even if did not have to skate immediately afterwards. Yuuri is willing to seduce Viktor to the point where can't skate his own program. It's a competition Yuuri came to win and he is ready to use every weapon he has.

Yuuri has a lot of power coming into his triple axel, and if not for his great control over that particular jump, he would have over rotated it, possibly to the point where he would have fallen. He ends up just doing an explosive jump that Yuuri is sure deserves nothing less than the absolute maximum score he can get. But Yuuri knows he can't control his Salchow nearly as well, so he turns down the power for his combination, and that becomes a big mistake. It's generally seen as worse to pop your jump that falling on it, and Yuuri wants to scream when he pops the quad salchow to a triple, and the triple toe to a double. He gets his vengeance with the flip, but he's lost an annoyingly large amount of points.

When Yuuri skates past Viktor at the gate, he is certain that he's radiating anger. Viktor looks like he wants to say something, but probably thinks the better of it and skates out for a quick warm-up. Even Yakov looks like he's keeping his distance as he hands Yuuri his skate guards. Yuuri has picked up some sort of plushie, and if there were no cameras he would have ripped it's head off.

"At least smile for the cameras," Yakov whispers in the Kiss & Cry, and Yuuri tries his damn hardest to do that as he gets his score. 99.75. It's just enough for fifth, but he's almost certain that Viktor will push him back even further.

Viktor takes to the ice and Yuuri decides to use that as a distraction. Watching Viktor skate has never failed to cheer him up, even on the worst of days. And Viktor is a joy to watch. He flies through the program as effortlessly as he did at Europeans, and Yuuri is enthralled. He nails his jumps, he nails his step sequence and he nails the spins. Yuuri can't find a flaw and while he's still angry about his own results, he's also immensely happy for Viktor who is fighting to defend his title.

Viktor's score is a little lower than at Europeans. It's probably entirely due to the judging panel, who are likely reluctant to give him another perfect component score, but he leads the competition by four points, and is, as always, the one to beat.

Because the top three (Viktor, Yurio and Chris) have a press conference, Yuuri goes back to the hotel before Viktor. Phichit tells him all the way back to the hotel that he can definitely make up the difference. At the finals he came back from a 21 point deficit to take silver, only 0.12 points behind Yurio. Yuuri is not having any of it. He's not here for silver. It's likely only due to Phichit being familiar with Yuuri's stubbornness that he let's it go, and just wishes him good luck for the free skate. Yuuri returns the gesture, and almost apologizes for being so difficult but stops himself. He would only earn himself a lecture on why he shouldn't apologize for anything.

Yuuri absentmindedly waits for Viktor to return so that they can order dinner together. He passes the time by destroying some flowers. It's how Viktor finds him. Sitting on the bed, torn flowers scattered around him. He's still very angry.

"Um, hi," Viktor says. It occurs to Yuuri that Viktor has only dealt with anxious-angry Yuuri and tired-angry Yuuri. Frustrated-angry Yuuri? He's a different beast entirely. Yuuri rips the head off another rose, and Viktor looks a little tentative.

"Hungry?" Yuuri asks, "I haven't eaten yet." He's not even trying to hide his anger. Viktor is supposed to love him no matter what.

"Yeah," Viktor says and slowly sits down besides Yuuri, "If you want some more flowers to destroy I've got some."

"I'm good," Yuuri says and snaps a stalk in half.

"Your actions betray your words, my love."

"So chicken?" Yuuri asks, and reaches out his hand for a new flower, which Viktor gives him.

"If that's what you want. I'm up for anything."

"If that were true, you'd give me cake."

"Not ice cream?"

"I'm angry, not heartbroken."

Viktor gives him a careful kiss on the cheek as he goes to order the food. After Yuuri has destroyed his new flower, he screams into a pillow to hopefully let out the remaining anger, and starts cleaning up the flower mess. He's still angry, but his need to destroy has settled. He places himself in Viktor's lap as they wait for the food.

"The program was good," Viktor says trying to make it all better, "Your components were high."

"Ugh," is Yuuri's extremely intelligible reply. He doesn't need Viktor's optimism right now. Viktor senses that and backs out of that conversation.

"What do you need?" Viktor tries instead. "Coach or fiancé?"

"Depends. I kind of want to punch my coach for no good reason."

Viktor sighs and kisses him, "Fiancé then."

"I'm still gonna win," Yuuri declares, "Don't think an early lead makes you safe."

"Of course not," Viktor says and pulls Yuuri a little closer, "I'm expecting for you to give it all you've got. But I won't make it easy for you."

Yuuri doesn't get to reply before there is a knock on the door, and he rolls off of Viktor, and lies on the bed as Viktor gets up. Viktor brings the tray of food to the bed, and reveals that he's bought a piece of chocolate cake for them to share.

"Just this once," he says, and Yuuri shakes his head. Viktor is a weak man.

Yuuri doesn't know if it's gesture or the cake, but he feels much better after the meal and he joins Viktor for a shower. Just a year ago, Yuuri would have preferred to be alone whenever he was feeling anything like this, but now Viktor's company is something he almost always seeks. Even if that company is just silently sitting next to each other, it's something Yuuri treasures. It reminds him that he's not alone.

Yuuri falls asleep easier than he thought he would.

* * *

 **1) World Team Trophy. If you have no clue what it is, all you need to know for now can be explained by the youtube video:** **Boom! - WTT2012 - 楽しすぎる(too pleasant) Kiss &Cry！**

 **2) I tried to write Yuuri's anxiety as contradictorary (is this a word?) as possible, because that's what his anxiety seems to do to him. He wants Viktor gone, but gets sad when he leaves. He feels pressured by the media but seeks out articles that talk about their expectations for him. You know, fun things like that.**

 **3) The cover of the magazine is from a piece of official art which I wish I could link to.**

 **4) Strict judging panels are a thing, although I believe that YoI verse is always as fair as possible, so unlike in our world where mistakes are sometimes over looked, or only some skaters are called out for their mistakes, this panel is consistant in their harsh judging.**

 **5) Short program scores and rankings:**  
 **1\. Viktor - 113.10**  
 **2\. Yurio - 109.76**  
 **3\. Chris - 108.41**  
 **4\. Otabek - 105.18**  
 **5\. JJ - 101.18**  
 **6\. Yuuri - 99.75**  
 **7\. Michele - 99.28**  
 **8\. Phichit - 98.68**  
 **9\. Seung-gil - 96.03**  
 **10\. Emil - 93.72**  
 **11\. Georgi - 91.93**  
 **12\. Guang-Hong - 88.47**  
 **13\. Leo - 87.38**


	5. Worlds: Free Skate

**Fact of the Chapter:** **A warhorse program refers to when a skater uses "over-used music". These are pieces such as music from Carmen, Swan Lake, Black Swan, Phantom of the Opera, etc. There is usually an influx of warhorses pieces used in an Olympic season. It is also common for skaters to reuse some of their old programs in an Olympic season. (Remember this for later...)**

* * *

Viktor had been hoping for him and Yuuri to have a one-two finish after the short program, and then for them to have stayed in those positions throughout the free program, but that doesn't happen. Instead Viktor takes first place and Yuuri trails fourteen points behind in sixth place, barely keeping himself in the top six. And Yuuri is clearly less pleased by these results than Viktor.

Yuuri had been like rage personified as he had stepped out of the rink, and barely acknowledged Viktor as their paths had crossed. Yuuri had picked up a chibi Yurio (complete with cat ears and everything) and Viktor had thought that when he would see it next, it wouldn't have a head. But Viktor had gone out and skated his short program, hoping to cheer up Yuuri a little bit with his performance. Viktor would never know if it helped or not, because with a top three finish, he doesn't have time to see Yuuri again before he has a press conference.

On his way back to the hotel Viktor prepares himself for everything. Anxious Yuuri, sad Yuuri, devoid of emotions Yuuri, and, of course, angry Yuuri. As he steps into their hotel room, he thinks he didn't prepare himself well enough.

Yuuri is sitting on the bed, glaring at a rose as if it was the cause of his less than perfect performance. Their pillows are on the floor opposite the bed as if Yuuri has thrown them against the wall, Yuuri's team Japan jacket has clearly been discarded to the floor in a similar fashion, and the roses… well, the roses are destroyed, scattered, and Yuuri adds to the pile of dead flowers as he reaches for his next victim.

"Um, hi," Viktor greets as a way of letting Yuuri know that he's here. He's slightly afraid that if he were to just walk up to him, he'd get a fist to the face.

"Hungry?" Yuuri reponds, "I haven't eaten yet." His voice is low, definitely still very angry, and he's not looking in Viktor's direction. He's just looking at the flower which he is currently taking apart petal by petal.

"Yeah," Viktor says slowly as he makes his way over to Yuuri. His fiancé doesn't look like he's going to hurt him, so he takes a chance as he sits down beside him, "I f you want some more flowers to destroy I've got some. " Viktor thinks the best way for Yuuri to work through this is just to get it out of his system, and if destroying flowers will do that, then Viktor is willing to provide Yuuri with as many flowers as he needs.

"I'm good," Yuuri says and snaps the rose in half. Viktor can't believe how much he adores Yuuri right now.

"Your actions betray your words, my love."

"So chicken?" Yuuri is turning the conversation back to food, which tells Viktor that the only reason he's even here is because he's hungry. Whether Yuuri would have chosen sleep or an angry evening run if he hadn't been hungry, Viktor could not tell you.

"If that's you want," Viktor replies, partly because he's going to give Yuuri whatever he wants both for his own safety and because he loves Yuuri, but also because Viktor doesn't care either way. The only reason Viktor eats food during competition is because he needs to. He never has an appetite when in competition mode.

"If that were true, you would give me cake," Yuuri reponds, and Viktor can't tell if Yuuri is serious, or if he's trying to lighten the mood. In any case, Viktor is going to try and tease Yuuri a little, just to see where they stand.

"Not ice cream?" Is his clever comeback.

Yuuri scoffs, but not in a way that makes it seem like Viktor was out of line, "I'm angry, not heartbroken."

Viktor gives Yuuri a kiss on the cheek, because, no, Yuuri is not heartbroken, and Viktor is going to keep it that way.

When Viktor orders food, he gives in a little bit and orders a piece of cake to go with it. They'll share it (and by share Viktor means 'take one bite and let Yuuri have the rest'), but it's okay. Yuuri deserves cake.

When he has finished ordering, Viktor sees that Yuuri has started cleaning up the flowers, so hopefully the anger is wearing off. Yuuri then proceeds to crawl into Viktor's lap, which Viktor gladly welcomes.

Viktor doesn't really know where to take it from here since Yuuri is not going to start a conversation. However, they had promised each other to communicate better, so Viktor is going to try to get through.

"The program was good," Viktor says in an effort to get to the core of the issue, "Your components were high."

Yuuri's response is a groan and a rolling with his eyes. Viktor takes the hint and backs off. Clearly the 'nice coach' approach was unwanted. Perhaps because it was somewhere between Viktor as a coach and Viktor as a fiancé. Viktor doesn't know which one Yuuri would prefer so he just asks. Since Yuuri threatens to punch coach Nikiforov, he can just be a loving fiancé.

Yuuri still has his eyes set on gold, and Viktor is glad that Yuuri is not discouraged. Not that Yuuri is that easily discouraged to begin with, but Viktor thinks Yuuri can use this anger. Turn it into energy, into the fuel that will lead him to victory. Viktor doesn't know if it makes him a bad competitor or a good coach that he sincerely wants Yuuri to win. It's probably a bit of both, but Viktor won't just hand Yuuri the victory. He's going to skate his damn heart out in the free skate and he will smile as he takes silver. And he will kiss Yuuri's gold medal, Yuuri's lips and every stretch of his skin. Viktor doesn't tell Yuuri any of this. He thinks Yuuri already knows.

* * *

As is almost always the case, Viktor wakes up first. Yuuri is sleeping soundly beside him, no signs of anger on his peaceful face, and Viktor gives him a kiss light enough to not wake him. He orders them breakfast, and shuffles through their suitcases to find some clothes for both him and Yuuri. They'll eat, go cheer for Mila and the other women, and then they have practice. Before they leave the rink, they'll draw for the free skate order, and then it's time to rest before the free skate. It's a rather chill rest day, designed to not put any stress on any of them.

Yuuri wakes up when the breakfast arrives. They eat while Viktor goes through their plans for the day. It's what they almost always do during competitions. While Viktor talks about how to prepare for the free skate, he is happy to see that the anger has yet to wear off completely. Yuuri aims for victory.

* * *

Viktor doesn't think the men's event will be as good as the women's. Mainly because the men have a higher tendency to screw up because of the quads, but also because this women's event is crazy. There are hardly any flaws, and some skaters have apparently decided to substitute some doubles for triples to catch up to the flawless skates. It's extremely exciting not knowing what will happen next despite having followed these skaters and their programs throughout the season.

When the last group is up they cheer a little harder. Yuuri cheers loudly for his countrymen, who ends up in fourth (disappointing since she was expected to take a medal). They both cheer loudly for Sara who takes first (with a score less than a point away from the world record) and Mila, despite a flawless triple axel and the lead she established in the short program, takes second. However, as she stands on the podium, Viktor thinks she looks much happier than when she got bronze at Europeans.

(There is a Canadian in third place, but Viktor has never talked to her so he doesn't really care that much)

Viktor and Yuuri do separate practices, because Viktor can't afford to waste his own ice time coaching. Yakov watches over them both, but hardly says anything. It seems they both know what they're doing.

So Viktor and Yuuri go home, media ignored, relatively tired after a day packed with activities and knowledge of how the free skate will go down. Viktor is happy that this time he gets to go before Yuuri - and with a skater in between them Viktor can both send Yuuri off and sit with him in the Kiss & Cry. Viktor is starting to believe Yuuri did so poorly in the short program because he's not allowed to break records if Viktor can't be with him when it happens. It's the only logical conclusion.

They eat dinner in relative silence. They put on some tv, which happens to be showing some American sitcom, just to clear their minds before the big day. Viktor notes that Yuuri has generally been very silent today, but when he snuggles close to him as they go to sleep, Viktor thinks that it's okay. As long as Yuuri is ready when it matters.

* * *

Because the free skate is early and they need both their body and mind to be awake for it, they get up a little early and head to the warm up area as soon as they can. There are six groups for the free skate, since the bottom six from then short program don't get to move on to day two, but the event goes by very slowly. Slower than Viktor remembers that it's supposed to go. It feels like it's been hours when the second group takes to the ice, and Viktor is starting to feel the pressure.

His season has been shorter than the others here, and Viktor counts that as a good thing because the Grand Prix Finals had always been his strongest competition, but at the same time, the months he took off has been noticeable in both of the competitions he's gone to. Viktor thinks that even if he can't take gold, he would very much like to get on the podium, so that people won't think he's out of the conversation when the Olympics come around. But there is pressure. When Viktor had won three consecutive World titles, he had joined only a few before him. When he had taken five consecutive World titles, he had rewritten history and become the first one to do so. Viktor has made a lot of skating history, and he, more than anyone, is aware that people will continue to expect the utmost from him until the day he retires.

But Viktor can't let all those expectations get to him. He's overcome pressure far heavier than what he is under now, and if either he or Yuuri takes gold, it's his victory. Outside of Viktor's own circle there are still many who don't buy Viktor as a coach. On one hand he gets the scepticism, but he also feels like he has proved to be a capable coach. If Yuuri wins (or Viktor wins and Yuuri takes silver), it will hopefully shut the rest of the naysayers up.

When the fourth group takes the ice, Viktor is certain that a full week has gone by. The waiting is excruciating and as Viktor examines the room, he thinks he's not the only one who feels like this. The entire warm-up area feels… off. People are more on edge than usual, a few people are looking nervously as the results slowly pop up on the screen, while others have learned from the short program and have found a way to ignore the millions of screen. Yuuri has cleverly put in earplugs and then, over them, some headphones that play music he might be able to hear. Either way, Yuuri has definitely been successful in blocking out the noise.

Viktor has decided to just follow the competition. As Yuuri's coach he feels like he's obligated to do so, but he also can't find it in him to make an effort to ignore it. After the fourth group, Leo is in the lead, unsurprisingly, and there is a break to get the ice resurfaced. Viktor is really tired of waiting, but what can he do? He decides to do a couple of exercises with Yuuri, and the look on Yuuri's face when he hands him the rubber ball, makes Viktor realize that he is visibly impatient. It's rare for Yuuri to appear calmer than Viktor during a competition - regardless of who is competetiting - but that's apparently what's happening right now.

When group five finally start their six minute warm up, Viktor seems to have calmed down a bit. Not that he was particularly nervous before, but Yuuri is one hell of a distraction, and Viktor has gotten rid of any and all doubts that might have lingered in his mind. Viktor thinks that he is very lucky to have fallen for a fellow skater.

The first one in group five is Guang Hong, who soars through his program. Viktor thinks that if everyone else can follow suit, he will have to eat his words about the women's event being bound to be better. Guang Hong sets a new personal best and takes the lead. Georgi comes out afterwards, and while he has no big flaws, he still scores under his personal best and finds himself a couple of points under the Chinese competitor.

Then it's Phichit's turn, and Viktor spots as Yuuri glances briefly at the monitor and mouths 'good luck'. It's not entirely flawless - there's a step out on his triple loop - but Phichit establishes himself as a Grand Prix finalist and takes the lead by over twenty points. Viktor thinks that there is a good chance that Phichit will stay in the lead for a long time.

Michele can't quite recreate the flawless performance he had in the short, which is a shame, because Viktor really likes his free skate, but he takes a temporary second. Then it's Emil, and Viktor almost has to look away when he skates. He falls on his first quad and pops the second, and it's all downhill from there. Since Emil is heavily reliant on good technical scores, he ends up in sixth after Leo.

Seung-gil finishes up the group (Viktor can't believe how quickly it went by) and skates almost flawlessly. But even with a few small mistakes, he still ends up with a personal best.

And then suddenly it's their turn. The final group is up, and Viktor takes Yuuri's hand to steady himself as they walk out. It's weird, Viktor thinks, as they are presented to the audience, the noise backstage had felt louder than in the rink. When they skate their warm up, Viktor can barely hear anything, and it feels good. It's like he's in a different place, a nice place. One that is warm, and good, and like home. Viktor can't remember when he last felt like this during a competition. Or maybe this is the first time. Viktor catches sight of Yuuri's back as they leave the ice, and maybe that's what has made all the difference. Because this time Viktor didn't leave home and warmth behind in a dog, but he took it with him in the form of a lover. In the form of a competitor.

JJ opens the group, and while he's not exactly having the breakdown he experienced at the Finals, he still not doing great. He still looks somewhat satisfied as he finishes, and he does take first, so that's always something, but Viktor can't dwell on that. It's his turn.

"Just skate like you did at Europeans, but with a better lutz," Yakov says before Viktor is off, "You have a good lead. Use it and you will still win."

It's easier said than done though. Viktor had added a second quad to his free because he had fallen behind Chris at Europeans, and he had added a third quad because that was the only thing that could keep him competitive with Yuuri. So it possibly won't be like Europeans. A perfect component score seems almost impossible. He's been smart enough to switch his triple and quad flip around, so that the quad comes earlier. Viktor would never forgive himself if he made a mistake on his signature jump, but with a harder layout, he has to put it in earlier.

Viktor starts strong with a quad combination. It's at the top of the program, and Viktor has plenty of energy to give. His set up for the triple lutz is perhaps longer than ideal, but getting a high grade of execution is useless if he gets another edge call. Viktor almost feels like he is back at the basics with how he's approaching the lutz, but he has far more skill than Viktor of ten years ago. And maybe getting cocky in the middle of his program is bad, because Viktor makes the exact same mistake he did at nationals. He falls on this triple loop. So much for going clean.

But next is the step sequence, and this Viktor knows he has improved. It's better than at Europeans, and he is focused, so there'll be nothing that can stop him from getting a level four this time. Entering the second half, Viktor executes his quad flip. It's flawless and perfect, just like always. Viktor has almost no flaws during the rest of the program. There is a little wobble on his landing on the quad salchow, triple toe combination, but otherwise, the second half is a solid Nikiforov program. Of course with the added love and devotion to Yuuri. Even with all the technical challenges, Viktor never forgets that this program is in fact made for Yuuri. Viktor doubts Yuuri is actually watching, but it's all good. Viktor can show him later.

All in all, Viktor is quite satisfied with the program. The base value is lower than last season, and he had a dumb mistake on a triple, but he thinks he could afford that. Viktor is certain this will get him on the podium, the only question is just where he will stand.

But even if Viktor is happy with the results, Yakov seems less so. Viktor avoids him for as long as he can by helping the flower girls pick up some things. After Viktor had picked up the plushie Yuuri at Europeans, half his gifts have turned into Yuuri related things. He even finds some onigiri plushies usually thrown for Yuuri.

"Your… lutz..." Yakov growls angrily as Viktor puts on his guards.

"Was it that bad?" Viktor asks carefully. It hadn't felt that bad, but then again, he hadn't known he had made a mistake on it at Europeans until Chris had told him.

"You had a long set up, and it was barely on an outside edge. The panel is strict, you'll be lucky if you only get a warning."

Despite Yakov's less than enthusiastic response, Viktor still sets a season's best. His component scores are significantly lower than at Europeans (they're are 97.36), but his higher technical content has paid off. His total score is also higher than at Europeans, and Viktor thinks that Yakov really shouldn't be this angry. He did really good!

Yurio is next though and he stands with Lilia at the boards, since Yakov is sitting with Viktor. Yurio does not have a great skate. It's messy, he looks uncharacteristically tired when he enters the second half, and while he barely manages to hold it together, it's nothing like the Yurio they're used to seeing. But more than the less than ideal skate, Viktor thinks what really is going to have Yurio angry for the rest of the day is that JJ beat him by less than a point. Yurio hates losing, but he hates losing to JJ even more.

Viktor has quickly moved to the boards to see Yuuri off before it's his turn. He takes a second to contemplate what to tell him, but there's a fire in Yuuri's eyes. Viktor just smiles.

"You'll be great," he says and kisses Yuuri's ring.

Yuuri pushes off from the boards and greets the crowd. At the Finals Viktor had started crying during Yuuri's free program. At the time it had been a combination of all the build up emotion that had come of the short program, as well as seeing Yuuri finally put together a clean free skate. This time Viktor cries before Yuuri has even done his first jump.

There's a fire in Yuuri, but there is beauty too. This program is not meant to show fire, not until the last jump, so Yuuri contains it and carries the program with a finesse Viktor doesn't think was there at the Finals. Yuuri is calm and Yuuri is fierce. And he puts it all together when it really counts. Viktor has thought his own quad flip had been perfect. Looking at Yuuri, he has to take that statement back. Nothing he will ever do can be as beautiful as Yuuri skating this program.

"You're crying," Yuuri says as he skates up to him at the boards and wipes a stray tear away.

"You're so beautiful," Viktor sobs and Yuuri opens his arms for a hug.

Viktor doesn't know why Yuuri isn't more emotional. Viktor can hardly contain himself, and he wasn't the one who skated the program. He feels slightly ridiculous being the one that's doted on in the moment, but perhaps Yuuri needs to do something as he waits for his scores.

Viktor has finally stopped crying when they show up on the monitor and to showcase how proud he is of Yuuri, he gives him a kiss on the cheek. Yuuri only laughs at him, but they both grow silent as the announcer's voice speaks.

"Get ready," Viktor whispers just before the scores are up.

"Yuuri Katsuki's free skate score is... 224.26. His total score is 324.01 and that's his season's best score and it brings him currently in first place."

Viktor is smiling brightly at Yuuri, who looks halfway between not really having realized what just happened and like he had expected this all along.

"I told you I would win," he finally says and Viktor just embraces him.

"I'm so proud of you," Viktor doesn't know what else to say. But he is proud. As proud as he could ever be.

Viktor spends another minute beaming over Yuuri in the Kiss & Cry, until Yuuri brings him back to reality when he starts clapping after Chris lands a successful jump. They quickly clear the area to watch the rest of the competition elsewhere.

Viktor has no idea why Chris doesn't end up with a higher score, because the part of the program he saw was flawless, but for now it will take Chris in third. And then there's only Otabek left.

Otabek comes in as the reigning world bronze medalist, but he has yet to put himself on the podium at any major competition this season. Viktor would love to keep Chris in third, but unlike Chris who has already established himself as one of the greats in this era of skating, Otabek still has much to prove. Otabek is intensity personified on the ice, and with only some very slight quality deductions, Viktor has no clue where he will place. Bronze will be between him and Chris for sure, but their scores will be close.

By less than a point, Otabek pushes Chris into fourth and claims his second world medal.

Viktor feels Yuuri squeeze his hand and he looks to his fiancé who is eyeing the monitor currently showcasing the results of the event.

"We won," Yuuri says, and Viktor doesn't know if Yuuri means that as in 'Viktor has proven himself as a coach with Yuuri taking gold', or if the one-two finish is what he is referring to. Either way, Viktor agrees. They did win.

"Finally sinking in?"

Yuuri squeezes him a little harder and Viktor can see tears forming in his eyes. He pulls him in for a hug and Yuuri embraces him. Yuuri is definitely crying harder now and Viktor can really only smile. They worked so hard for gold, and even though it came a couple of months later than anticipated, they still got there.

They've been hugging for a good long while, when Viktor notices that they are surrounded by a lot of people. Viktor is quite surprised that he hadn't noticed the abundance of photographers that have their cameras working at high speed as they take pictures of this highly emotional moment. Viktor already knows all the stories just this one picture will write. The love story. The victory story. The 'great sportsmen' story. The coach-student story. The one story that will claim - despite all the confirmations and high amounts of pda - that they are 'just good friends'. It's okay Viktor thinks. Of all the storylines that can come of this competition, if they can make a couple about this moment, Viktor will be very happy.

Momentarily, Viktor finds it extremely rude when someone comes up to disrupt their time together, but it turns out to be an official who has the duty to inform them that the medal ceremony will begin shortly.

Someone, and Viktor really doesn't know who, gives them some tissues (apparently Viktor is crying again, so now they're both a mess) and they get ready for the medal ceremony. They call the gold medalist out first (a tradition Viktor has never really understood because in literally all other sports they start with third place), and Yuuri greets the audience as they play his music. Viktor is announced next and as he skates up to hug Yuuri (yes hug, this was always the intention), his fiancé takes his head in his hands and kisses him. Viktor is very tempted to return the kiss, but remains somewhat composed as he takes his place on Yuuri's right. Otabek comes out next and shakes both Yuuri and Viktor's hand before taking the spot on Yuuri's left.

They are given their medals, and some flowers that seem to be falling apart, and they play the Japanese national anthem which Yuuri sobs his way through. Then it's picture time, and the only reason Viktor doesn't start kissing Yuuri endlessly is because it would probably feel very awkward for Otabek who can't really escape the situation. Viktor gives Yuuri lots of kisses on their way to the press conference to make up for it.

Viktor spends most of the conference sending heart eyes to Yuuri. It's another moment that will surely make headlines.

"This is the first time in a decade that a Japanese man has won the world title, what do you feel about that?"

Yuuri, who has regained his composure since they got their medals, gives a very eloquent answer: "I am of course very happy that all my hard work has lead to this result, but I also hope this will inspire the future generation of male figure skaters in Japan. While I have no intention of retiring just yet, someone has to take my place some day. There are many talented skaters currently in Japan, but they have yet to show their full potential. With three spots secured for worlds and the Pyeongchang Olympics, I can only hope to see those skaters grow.

"My fellow skater, Takuya, placed himself in the top fifteen today, and while my gold medal finish will likely take the spotlight from him, his result was a great one. He is young and inexperienced, and it's only a matter of time until he and my fellow japanese skaters will challenge the ones at the top."

Viktor feels like Yuuri probably has more to say, but he stops himself. The press conference goes on and Viktor ends up getting the last question. It's the same as what he was asked at the last world championships. What do you have in mind for the upcoming season?

And unlike last time, where Viktor didn't know, where Viktor hadn't yet seen the video that would change his life, where Viktor was at a crossroads. Unlike last time where Viktor could have let a coin toss decide his fate and then let that be it, Viktor knows where he is going next.

"Next season will be a special one," Viktor begins. Since it's the last question, he will take his time and give a long answer that will leave no room for another interpretation, "Not only because it will be the olympic season, but because it will be my very last. My first season as a senior skater was an olympic season. At that time I was seventeen. Since then, two more olympics have gone by and I've won both of them.

"As has been apparent this season, I am not unbeatable, even though I have read enough articles that claim otherwise. Of course I will fight to defend my title, but my last season will not just be about the olympics. It will be about me. Up until this season, all my programs have told a story, but none of them my own. In my final season, I will tell you my story, and I hope that despite the legacy I seem to have created, that that will be what you will remember me for."

Viktor takes a breath. The only one who knew Viktor had planned the date of his retirement was Yuuri. Yakov didn't know, Chris didn't know, no one really knew. And now everyone did. A couple of reporters try to sneak in a couple of questions, but Viktor leaves the conference room with Yuuri and Otabek. They have the rest of the day to rest until the exhibition gala tomorrow.

* * *

"You talked a lot today," Viktor comments. They're eating dinner. Not a celebratory dinner yet, because where would they even get katsudon, but they're still treating themselves. There's some deep fried dishes and this time they've got a piece of cake each. They've also opened a bottle of wine, so they're slightly tipsy.

"Ugh," Yuuri responds mid-chew, "I hate press conferences. I don't know when to shut up."

"I think the press likes that actually." Viktor takes a sip of the wine. It's actually not that good, but it makes the evening feel more special.

"Unlike you saying you were going to retire," Yuuri teases, "Such a tragedy. Figure skating will never be the same."

"They still have a year," Viktor brushes off, "Besides, they still have you. You're still continuing right?" They haven't really had this conversation, but at the very least Yuuri has mentioned that he looks forward to when Worlds is in Japan. And that's the year after Pyeongchang.

"Unless I get injured," Yuuri shrugs, "Competitive skating is much more fun now that I've got you, so I don't see why I should stop just yet."

Viktor sighs, "I can't believe you wanted to retire after the Finals."

This makes Yuuri laugh, "Well, I had more or less decided that before you even came to Hasetsu, and I can be quite stubborn."

"I think 'quite' is an understatement."

They end up finishing the less-than-decent wine quite quickly into the night, and Viktor orders another bottle. They're still not drunk. This is fine.

"Can I have Stammi Vicino?" Viktor asks. His head is hanging over the side of the bed, and he's looking at Yuuri upside down, as he's going through their suitcases. He had the fun idea to paint each others' nails, but neither of them remember if they bought any nail polish.

"Isn't it already yours?" Yuuri is now holding up a lip gloss, trying to figure out what it is. Viktor would tell him, if Yuuri wasn't making such cute scrunchy faces.

"I meant for the gala," Viktor clarifies. He's thought about this, "I want us to do Stammi Vicino for my exhibition."

Yuuri turns his cute scrunchy face towards Viktor, "What about me then? I don't have anything else."

"I think you should do your free skate from last season. I'm sure Ciao Ciao still has the music," Viktor actually has the music. He had asked Ciao Ciao to send him the file. He also has all the other pieces Yuuri has skated to when lived in Detroit. But that's besides the point.

"No~" Yuuri protests, "It's horrible. "

"No~" Viktor mimics, "It's beautiful~ You just don't know yet."

Yuuri crawls over to Viktor. This is a great spiderman moment. Viktor moves to kiss him when he gets close enough, but Yuuri doesn't reciprocate. Maybe he hasn't seen the movie. That would be a waste. They should do a movie marathon. Or a movie date. Yes, a movie date sounds better. More romantic. They could cuddle, and share popcorn, and make out during the movie… but then they would miss the movie. Viktor is conflicted.

"I have one condition," Yuuri says, and Viktor tries to nod, but he doesn't succeed very well, since he's upside down, "Grow out your hair."

Viktor bursts out in laughter and ends up falling - actually more like rolling - off of the bed. He doesn't know why it's so funny, but it is.

"I mean it," Yuuri says in a voice that doesn't sound like he means it. He just sounds a little drunk. Which he probably is. Viktor thinks he might be a little drunk too.

"You don't like my short hair?" Viktor laughs. He meant to sound offended, but he can't fight off his smile. Yuuri is so cute.

"I do~" Yuuri sings, "But I always wanted to, like, touch you long hair. It was so pretty~"

"Okay," Viktor says. Yuuri didn't specify how long, so while Viktor has no intentions of growing it out as long as it was when it was at its longest, he has been toying with the idea of letting it grow a little. Especially with what he has planned for next season. But that's something Yuuri doesn't know about yet.

"Yay~" Yuuri says and plants himself on top of Viktor. Their noses are touching now. This would be another great kissing moment, but once again Yuuri doesn't reciprocate. Doesn't he know that Viktor is getting kiss deprived.

"Yuuri..." Viktor whines, "Kiss me."

And so Yuuri does. For one second, and then he's gone. Viktor rolls onto his stomach and sees that Yuuri is back at their suitcases.

"I don't think we bought nail polish," Viktor says because he wants Yuuri back. But Yuuri pulls out Viktor's makeup bag and has a big grin on his face.

"Lemme do your makeup."

And Viktor can't deny Yuuri anything, "Okay."

So now they're sitting on the bed, well past midnight, drunk enough to find everything funny, sober enough to remember everything and form somewhat cohesive sentences. You'd think someone who's dating Viktor Nikiforov and is best friends (and former roommates!) with Phichit would know their way around makeup, but Yuuri doesn't. His technique is non-existent, there is no attention to detail and he might as well be colour blind with what he's choosing to apply. But Viktor is still having an awful lot of fun. Even if Yuuri keeps putting mascara in his eye.

"How do you even do this," Yuuri asks as he tries to apply mascara on Viktor's right eye with his left hand.

"Sober," Viktor says. His eyes are watering, so Yuuri will either have to accept that he will look like a racoon, or start over again. For some reason Viktor thinks Yuuri will go with option one, and the look will find itself on instagram.

"I am not drunk," Yuuri says. The second bottle is also empty now, and Yuuri has definitely had more than Viktor. Viktor isn't worried though. Yuuri had far more at Sochi.

"You say that, but you also tripped over your feet twice walking from the bathroom to the bed."

"It happens sometimes," Yuuri pouts.

"Perhaps, but you're definitely a little drunk."

Yuuri leans on him, mascara smudging on his cheek, "But only a little." Yuuri giggles. Viktor does too.

"Now for the finishing touches," Yuuri declares and dives back into the makeup bag. He pulls out a classical red lipstick that Viktor never uses. Yuuri opens it and applies it to himself. He then pulls Viktor in for a kiss, affectively leaving uneven lipstick on his lips (no one will question that he was kissed) and kisses him again on the cheek, brow and nose. There is no mirror, so Viktor doesn't know what he looks like, but he thinks he looks like he's having fun.

Yuuri pulls up his phone. "Selfie time!" Yuuri settles in besides Viktor and takes the picture as he applies another kiss to Viktor's cheek. "I bet this will get more likes than Phichit."

Viktor laughs again.

* * *

When Viktor wakes up the next morning, he can feel that he's been drinking, but he doesn't really have a hangover. Whatever it is that he is feeling - and he can't quite put his finger on what is wrong - he knows it can be cured with a glass of water. But it's not urgent so Viktor decides to stay put just for a little while. As his vision slowly adjusts, he notices that he has smeared Yuuri's shirt completely in makeup. There's probably more product on Yuuri's shirt than currently on Viktor, and he doesn't even want to know what his face looks like right now. But he is interested in the post Yuuri put up last night.

 **katsudonyuuri**

[image]

Liked by **phichit+chu** , **christophe-gc** and **8.435 others**

 **katsudonyuuri** i am now a makeup artist xxx

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 **lutz_go_crazy** omg i can't tell if this is funny or adorable hahah

 **ssviktuuri** #relationshipgoals

 **christophe-gc** did you apply all of it with your mouth or just the lipstick?

 **phichit+chu** remind me to teach you the way of the eyeliner

7 HOURS AGO

The first thing Viktor notices about the picture is not that his eyes are dripping, that his hair is sticking out in every direction or that he has Yuuri's red lipstick all over his face, but how absolutely, ridiculously happy he looks. Viktor knows that his life has changed over the last year, but it's hard to put it into words. Viktor from a year ago would never have even considered posting this, let alone have someone else post it. Hell, he wouldn't even have let Yuuri, who was drunk and can't even control a liquid eyeliner when sober, do any of this to him. And yet, he let Yuuri do what he wanted and they'd had so much fun. Viktor curls back up to Yuuri and smiles to himself. He is so lucky to be the one Yuuri chose.

Viktor stays in bed for a little while longer, while he scrolls through Instagram. Yurio has posted a really good one of him and Otabek at the rink after the medal ceremony. However, Viktor's favorite picture is one of Phichit's. The picture is of Yuuri as he receives his gold medal. The caption is 'they grow up so fast #proudfather' and Viktor leaves the comment '#proudfiancé. He saves the picture to his phone.

When he's finally had enough of laying around, Viktor decides to remove all the makeup from last night before he gets a serious case of bad skin. It takes some time because he refuses to look himself in the mirror before he's removed most of it, but he gets it done. Since it's still early, Viktor decided he might as well treat himself and applies a facemask while he looks through their breakfast options. They've had the same thing every day for competition purposes, but Viktor thinks that waffles sound great and orders a stack with fruits and chocolate.

"You're pink," Yuuri's voice comes from the bed and Viktor looks up from his spot on the floor. Viktor tries not to smile too much because of the mask.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty. How are you feeling on this fine morning?"

"I don't get hangovers," Yuuri laughs. It's a lie. Yuuri definitely gets hangovers, "Besides, we weren't that drunk."

"Whenever you decide to apply lipstick to my face by kissing me and then putting it on social media, you are drunk. We both know sober Yuuri wouldn't to do that."

"I'll take that challenge," Yuuri says and Viktor has to pinch himself to keep from laughing.

There's a knock on the door and Yuuri gets up to answer it.

"Oh my God, I love you," Yuuri bursts out as he gets the breakfast.

"If waffles is all it takes for you to love me, I will make waffles everyday."

"Don't worry," Yuuri says, "I accept pancakes too."

Viktor has to remove his mask before he can eat, and Yuuri very nicely waits for him, only drinking his tea as he watches Viktor move around.

"For the exhibition," Yuuri says as they're finishing up the waffles, "Do you still want to Stammi Vicino?"

"A deal is deal, drunk or not," Viktor says. He had planned to bring it up before, but it had slipped his mind in the heat of the competition.

"Okay. But you don't have to grow your hair out if you don't want to. Drunk Yuuri isn't very respectful."

Viktor only smiles. He'll see how long it takes for Yuuri to figure out that his hair is getting longer.

* * *

Viktor enjoys himself at the exhibition. He watches as others perform programs much different than what people are used to seeing from them, and he feels inspired and motivated. He skates Stammi Vicino with Yuuri and the crowd is just as excited as they were when they skated it the first time at the Finals. After Viktor's exhibition, all the gold medalists do their performances. The ice dancers do a funny comedy routine, much unlike their usual sensual style of skating. The pairs are skating to a weird musical medley, and Sara skates to song about fiery desire. And Yuuri enthralls the audience with a rendition of his free skate from last year. Almost all of the jumps have been taken out, and Yuuri leaves nothing but beauty on the ice.

And after the exhibition comes the banquet. Viktor quickly notices that he's not the only one who wants to meet drunk Yuuri again.

"You're all horrible," Yuuri tells him and Phichit. They're both holding two flutes of champagne, each handing one of them to Yuuri., "I'll drink one." He takes the one Phichit is offering him.

"I bet that's what you said at Sochi too," Phichit grins, and Viktor decides to hold onto the flutes he's holding. You never know if Yuuri will change his mind.

"On the topic of Sochi," comes Chris' voice as he slings an arm around Yuuri, "You have committed a crime, Katsuki."

Viktor wants to interject, but he also wants to see how this plays out, because Yuuri is high on confidence and is already reaching for Viktor's glass of champagne.

"Is that so?" Yuuri raises an eyebrow, "I believe everything is legal and consensual as long as Viktor says yes."

Viktor sees Phichit spit out his drink as he bursts out laughing, and Viktor almost does the same.

"Oh please," Chris says dramatically, "Viktor will agree to anything as long as you ask, but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about this."

Chris holds up his phone so that only Yuuri can see it, and it makes Yuuri laugh.

"Which one do you prefer," Chris asks.

"This one," Yuuri says confidently, "Definitely the superior one."

Chris huffs, faking offense, "You have never been so wrong. Did our joint strip tease mean nothing to you?"

"I don't even recall it," Yuuri says smugly, "If yours really was superior, it would have stayed in my memories."

"Mon dieu," Chris exclaims disappointingly, "You have seen the truth, but it was too great for you to bear. That will be your loss."

"I need to know what is happening," Phichit interrupts, and Chris merely tosses his phone to Phichit. Him and Viktor look at the picture. It is a comparison between Viktor and Chris's asses. Viktor knows exactly why Chris is doing this.

"I knew I wouldn't regret sending you that interview. Now Yuuri has proven that my ass is better than yours," Viktor says proudly and Phichit is just dying beside him. He'll send him the article later.

"Yuuri is biased," Chris protests, "I say we hold a vote. Have everyone in here choose who's better."

"Ha!" Yuuri scoffs, he's holding another half empty flute of champagne now, "Viktor won't lose!"

"So it's settled then," Chris confirms, "We hold a vote. It's currently two votes for Viktor, and one for me. Phichit what's your say?"

"I'll vote Chris."

Yuuri gasps, "You traitor."

Viktor isn't sure how they ended up in this situation, but now he's the main contestant in an ass-off and the people around them are not as enthusiastic as they are. A lot of people refuse to vote on pure principal, but the do get a few people to cast an opinion.

There's Yurio who votes for Chris only because he doesn't want Viktor to win. Yuuri says it shouldn't count because he is biased, but then Phichit counters and says that if Yurio is biased then Yuuri is too. JJ also votes for Chris because he saw his ass at Sochi, and since Viktor did not end up nude, there is no contest. After being treated to some quality photos of Makkachin pictures, Seung-gil votes for Viktor. Everyone else refuses to either answer or choose.

"This means I win," Chris declares, "And as the winner I get one wish."

"Ugh," Yuuri says, he's on his fifth glass now, and Viktor is thinking about slowing down his alcohol consumption, "Viktor is the real winner."

"My wish is one dance with Yuuri," Chris says, "I don't have a pole, but there are plenty of tables and music of all kinds."

"So a dance-off," Yuuri says sensing a challenge, "This one you won't win, Giacometti."

"Prove it," Chris says as he requests something of the dj.

Yuuri loosens his tie and hands over his glasses, "Hold this, gorgeous." Viktor practically drops his champagne to hold Yuuri's glasses.

It doesn't take long for Chris and Yuuri to be dancing on top of some tables, losing less clothes than at Sochi, but definitely ending up with fewer than where they started. They are dancing to Britney Spears' Toxic and Viktor is so glad Phichit is here to document it all.

"I win!" Yuuri declares as he hops off of the table, and Chris accepts defeat.

Viktor graciously puts Yuuri's glasses back on his drunk fiancé and gives him a kiss for winning the dance-off.

"One more dance," Yuuri whispers to Viktor as he drags him out to the dancefloor where no one else is dancing. Viktor doesn't care as he lets Yuuri and the music move him the rest of night.

* * *

This time when he wakes up, Viktor's head is definitely pounding, and if he has a hangover, he can only imagine Yuuri does too. They had never gotten around to change out of their clothes from last night, and Viktor is sure both his clothes and his breath smells like champagne. He should get washed up. They have a flight in the afternoon, so they have some time until they have to get ready, but Viktor would very much prefer to stay in bed all day.

Apparently, Viktor groaning about having to get up wakes up Yuuri, who then buries himself under the covers.

"Too bright," he whines and Viktor rolls off the bed to draw the curtains. Yuuri still doesn't come out of his cave, but at least now Viktor is up.

"Water?" He asks. He definitely needs water.

Viktor swallows a whole bottle and finds another one for Yuuri who has stuck out a hand from under the covers. After some moments of great struggles, Yuuri has to give up on drinking from the bottle in his little cave and emerges tiredly to drink.

"How much of it did Phichit post?" Yuuri asks and Viktor just shrugs. He has not yet gone through the contents of Instagram. But with his thirst being clenched, he settles back into bed and opens up the app to figure out how much made it outside of the banquet hall. Interestingly, there is almost nothing there. There are a few pictures taken from early into the evening, but they're all from before Yuuri started drinking and Chris had started the ass-off.

Yuuri then reaches over Viktor for his own phone, and shows him that Phichit has texted him, asking what he could post.

"Wow," Viktor says, "I don't think Chris would have asked if it was me."

"Because he knows you like attention," Yuuri counters and gives Phichit permission to post what he wants under the assumption that Phichit knows what he will be okay with.

"You look great in this one," Viktor says when Phichit starts posting. The picture is of Yuuri dancing on a table. He's exhibiting his eros persona and Viktor knows that the seductive gaze Yuuri is giving is directed at him just outside of shot.

"Oh, I love this one," Yuuri says and likes the photo for Viktor. It's a picture of them dancing together as they are looking into each other's eyes. The first comment Viktor sees is: 'wow, they're so in love' and Viktor can't help but agree. They are both so in love.

* * *

 **The scores for anyone interested:**  
 **Yuuri - SP: 99.75 & FS: 224.26 = 324.01**  
 **Viktor - SP: 113.20 & FS: 210.34 = 323.44**  
 **Otabek - SP: 105.18 & FS: 204.73 = 309.91**  
 **Chris - SP: 108. 41 & FS: 200.53 = 308.94**  
 **JJ - SP: 101.18 & FS: 201.41 = 302.59**  
 **Yurio - SP: 109.78 & FS: 192.24 = 302.02**  
 **Phichit - SP: 98.68 & FS: 203.31 = 301.99**  
 **Seung-gil - SP: 96.03 & FS: 200.29 = 296.32**  
 **Michele - SP: 99.28 & FS: 195.36 = 294.64**  
 **Guang-Hong - SP: 89.47 & FS: 186.71 = 276.18**  
 **Georgi - SP: 91.93 & FS: 180.23 = 272.26**  
 **Leo - SP: 87.83 & FS: 174.99 = 262.82**  
 **Emil - SP: 93.72 & FS: 168.11 = 261.83**


	6. World Team Trophy

**This chapter is split into two POVs, the first part is Yuuri's and the second part is Viktor's. It should be clear enough when it shifts.**

 **Fact of the Chapter: World Team Trophy is a team competition which features six different countries (Japan (the host), USA, Canada, Russia, France and China). The competition takes place every other year and is really a big excuse to throw a figure skating party. Despite the seriousness of competition, you will often find that both skaters and judges alike look silly. It's very fun, look it up.**

* * *

 **Short Program**

Viktor falls ill the moment they're back in Russia. It's not the coughing and sneezing type of ill, it's just his body refusing to carry on and insisting on a break. Yuuri had of course prepared himself for this, because Yakov had said that it happened every year without fail.

The first sign that Viktor is definitely ill is that Yuuri wakes up first. And he doesn't just wake up first, but it's past ten and Viktor is still asleep. Yuuri careful places a hand on Viktor's forehead and finds that it is indeed warmer than it should be. He carefully slips out of the bed and into the kitchen. Yuuri doesn't make breakfast very often, that's usually Viktor's job, but he wants to make sure his poor fiancé is well fed and can recovery quickly from his end-of-season crash.

Yuuri prepares him a bowl of miso soup with some green onions. It's tasty, nutritious and reminds Viktor of Hasetsu. Yuuri is pretty happy with how the taste turns out, and prepares to take it to Viktor when he hears him.

"I was going to serve you breakfast in bed," Yuuri sighs but smiles at Viktor nonetheless.

"Oh, sorry," Viktor says weakly, he has dragged the comforter with him and looks ready to go to sleep again, "I'm not really hungry. I just thought you were leaving and I wanted to say goodbye."

Yuuri puts down the bowl and guides Viktor to the couch, "I'll stay home today," he says, "I'll take Makkachin out and buy some groceries, but I think I can afford one day of rest. Especially with my coach bedridden and all."

Viktor smiles and leans up for a kiss which Yuuri gladly gives him.

"But you should eat," Yuuri says, "I made miso soup."

Viktor sighs, "I'm not really-"

"I don't care," Yuuri interrupts a little harshly and Viktor looks at him startled, "Sorry, but you need food. And soup will help keep you hydrated as well."

Yuuri retrieves the bowl and pushes it into Viktor's hands.

"Thanks," Viktor says quietly, and suddenly Yuuri feels bad. But Viktor starts eating it nonetheless, "Sorry for being difficult."

Yuuri sighs and settles beside Viktor, "It's okay."

The rest of the day proceeds quietly. Viktor spends most of it sleeping on the couch, occasionally waking up to drink water or go to the bathroom. Yuuri takes Makkachin out and buys groceries, but is going through his own unwinding process. When he isn't cooking or taking care of Viktor, he's engrossed in a new game from his favorite franchise. Makkachin occasionally joins him, when cuddling Viktor gets boring, and Yuuri takes a few breaks to play with the poodle.

* * *

"Don't leave," Viktor mumbles the next morning as Yuuri tries to get out of bed. He's going to the rink for a light workout. Since Worlds just ended, he's supposedly still in a resting period, but Yuuri isn't really in the mood for resting too much. He has taken the liberty to sleep until noon though.

"I'll be back before you know it," Yuuri says and gives him a kiss trying to coax Viktor into letting him go, "I'll leave some food for you, so you better eat it before I come back."

Viktor mumbles something Yuuri doesn't catch, but finally let's go. Yuuri makes a quick breakfast and prepares Viktor some fruit and a cup of tea. As he sets it on the bedside table, he quickly checks Viktor's temperature only to find that's roughly the same as the day before. He frowns a little, but as long as it doesn't get worse, Yuuri won't be too worried. He gently wakes Viktor up so that he can eat and then leaves for the rink, taking Makkachin with him.

The rink is quiet. Besides Yuuri there is only a single skater on the ice - a junior who got off school early for a reason Yuuri doesn't remember. Yakov is there too, overseeing the training. Yurio is supposed to arrive in a few hours, but Yuuri suspects he'll be home before that. Even Yakov seems to be reeling from the end of the season (even though there is technically still one competition left), and he doesn't even bother yelling at Yuuri or the junior. If they are too far away from him when he's speaking normally he just waves them over and repeats whatever instruction he gave.

There isn't much for him to say though. Yuuri is mostly here to keep his body going and to skate out his energy before it can somehow turn into anxiety, and the junior has already ended his season. They both do some triple axels mostly so that Yakov has something to correct them on, especially now that they both have his - more or less - full attention. Yakov even uses Yuuri to demonstrate to the junior how a good triple axel is executed and it makes Yuuri feel proud that he can set a good example in skating. But he supposes that he is the world champion.

"Have you talked to Vitya about Team Trophy?" Yakov asks when Yuuri ends his practice. It's around the time people get off of school, so the place will soon be flooded with juniors and young seniors.

"Only about participation," Yuuri says and makes a mental note to discuss details with Viktor when he has recovered enough to have full conversation without falling asleep.

"You're both going?"

Yuuri sighs, clearly Viktor hasn't discussed this with Yakov despite having made the decision weeks ago. "I'll be participating, but Viktor says he'll only go as my coach."

Yakov sighs even deeper than Yuuri: "Of course, yes, makes sense, making plans without consulting me."

"Sorry," Yuuri says almost on instinct, "I'll talk to him."

"Oh no, I'll make sure to give him a piece of my mind myself, but for the record, he made the right choice."

Yuuri smiles and goes off to find Makkachin who has been given free reign in the building. It's no surprise that Yuuri finds the poodle in the lounge, receiving belly rubs from some of the newly arrived juniors.

"I assume your useless fiancé is still sick?" Yurio asks, he's not a part of the group giving Makkachin love, but if he were alone, Yuuri knows he would have been on the floor playing with the dog.

"It's only been a day," Yuuri says nonchalantly, "He's allowed some rest before we should call him useless."

"Maybe, but he only skated half a season. He shouldn't need the rest."

Yuuri entertains the idea of turning the teasing on Yurio, but he understands that Yurio is merely angry because of his sixth place finish at Worlds.

"Half a season of skating, and a full season of coaching. I think he deserves it. Besides, the two of us still have a competition left, I bet you'll sleep for a week too when that's over."

"Ha!" Yuuri scoffs, his competitiveness taking over, "I will beat your ass and when the competition is over, I'll go right back into training a new quad. You won't stand a chance next season."

"I'll take that challenge," Yuuri says, "But remember, the competition is about teams. Even if you beat me, I might still end up with gold."

"Russia can beat Japan in everything, we'll definitely win!"

They have to end their conversation when Yurio's practice starts, but Yuuri thinks he helped cheer Yurio up a little bit by making him look forward to the next competition instead of dwelling on a past one. Yuuri would have told him that what he achieved in his first season as a senior - winning the Finals with a world record, a bronze at Europeans and a top six finish at Worlds - is probably one of the best senior debuts ever seen.

It's easily compared to Viktor who, in his first season, barely made it to the Finals and placed fifth, had a somewhat lucky third place at Europeans and then went into the Torino Olympics where he finished seventh. He took another bronze at Worlds, but most of his competitors had not participated so the achievement was somewhat lacking. There is an argument, of course, that Viktor was going through a growth spurt, but Yuuri doubts the results would have been much better had that not been the case.

When Yuuri comes home, the only sign that Viktor has been up is the empty plate on the bedside table. Yuuri considers asking Yakov - or maybe just Viktor later - if he normally goes into a coma. But then again, Yuuri knows how much Viktor has been pushing his body to achieve what he has in this season. Yuuri let's Viktor sleep for as long as he needs to.

* * *

Being an experienced night owl and having slept until noon, means that Yuuri still hasn't gone to bed when 3 a.m. comes around. He's spending his night energy going through a thorough cleaning of the kitchen, while listening to one of Viktor's many albums of classical music.

Makkachin is the first to react, and Yuuri notices as the poodle suddenly gets up and runs into the bedroom. Startled, and increasingly worried, Yuuri hurries into the bedroom too, only to find that Makkachin has cuddled close to Viktor who is breathing a little heavier than normal. Yuuri immediately rushes to his side, checks his temperature - still warm but definitely not worsened - and looks at Viktor's pained expression. He's having a fever dream - a nightmare - and Yuuri doesn't hesitate to wake him up.

Viktor doesn't open his eyes when he wakes up, but Yuuri can tell that he's no longer asleep by his breathing and the way he pulls Makkachin closer to him. Yuuri understands that right now, in this moment, being with Makkachin will bring Viktor more comfort than anything Yuuri can do for him, so he leaves to get some cold water and something to reduce the fever. Viktor has avoided medication so far because the illness was just a way for him to rest, but with the fever now preventing that rest, it's time to combat it.

When Yuuri comes back, Viktor is sitting up. He has Makkachin in his lap as he combs his hands through the messy fur. His eyes are glassy, not quite crying, but definitely close. Yuuri takes a seat besides him but keeps a little distance between them. He isn't entirely sure if Viktor wants him here or not.

Viktor takes a look at Yuuri and then lets his eyes drift to the water and pills on the bedside table. He takes the pills and downs the whole glass of water rather quickly. He has shed his shirt, which was doused in sweat and he seems to still be overheated. Yuuri brings him a new glass of water as well as a full water jug should he need more. As Yuuri sits down on the bed again, Viktor takes his hand and squeezes it lightly. It's their code for saying _stay close to me._

They stay like that for quite some time, until Viktor finally speaks.

"Aren't you tired?" He's not looking directly at Yuuri, but at their joined hands.

"Not really," Yuuri says truthfully, but he feels like there is an underlying reason to Viktor's question.

There's another moment of silence, until: "I'm sorry." Viktor shifts his eyes to Yuuri for a second before looking down again. He doesn't continue.

"Why?" Yuuri fights to keep his voice low, but he's truly bewildered. Viktor has nothing to be sorry for.

"I'm not much fun when I'm like this."

Yuuri looks at Viktor for a couple of seconds, trying to find the right words to tell Viktor he's stupid, without outright calling him stupid. Viktor being tired, slightly disoriented and feverish is probably part of the reason he's feeling like he is.

"I'm not expecting you to be fun," Yuuri says, "You're ill. That's not your fault and I'm going to take care of you until you get better. So don't apologize. You wouldn't want me to do that if I was ill, would you?"

Viktor finally looks up at Yuuri and keeps his gaze. A weak smile appears on his tired, beautiful face, "I'm sorry for apologizing then. I take it back."

Yuuri returns the smile and kisses their joint hands.

"How about a shower?" He suggests, "I'm sure it will make you feel better."

Viktor gives him a look that's probably supposed be suggestive, but doesn't quite come out that way because he's tired, "Join me?"

Yuuri gets up and drags Viktor with him to the bathroom.

* * *

After that Viktor starts getting better. His fever slowly goes away and he starts spending more hours awake than asleep. On their fifth day home from Worlds, Viktor accompanies Yuuri to the rink to oversee his practice. It's also where Yakov finally gets to confront him.

Viktor is standing by the boards. Yuuri has skated over to grab some water and listen to whatever Viktor has to correct, when Yakov comes over and gives Viktor a rather firm slap on the back. Yuuri isn't sure if Viktor yelps in surprise or pain.

"When you make decisions, you tell me immediately," Yakov growls, and by the look in Viktor's eyes, it's clear that he has no clue what Yakov is referring to.

"Team Trophy," Yuuri supplies helpfully, and watches as Viktor realizes that he did indeed forget to tell Yakov about his plans for the upcoming competition.

"Yesterday was the last day to make changes to the team, and you didn't think to notify me of whether or not you were planning to attend? There's a limit to how much of your bullshit I can take, Vitya."

"Did you put me down as a competitor?" Viktor asks, clearly dreading the answer.

"Of course not," Yakov says, clearly still angry, "Katsuki told me you weren't planning on attending, and even if he hadn't, I had already put Yura and Zhora down as our representatives."

"Then I don't see the problem," Viktor pouts. It looks rather cute because he's wearing a scarf that covers most of his mouth and a knitted beanie which looks too big, but doesn't cover his red ears. Yuuri doesn't say this though.

"The problem is the lack of communication. Since you're now coaching yourself, you must have realized the importance of that."

Viktor looks like he's going to protest for a moment, but stops himself, "Of course, I'm sorry."

Yakov gives Viktor a look Yuuri can't quite read and then turns towards Yuuri, "He's apologizing now? Whatever you're doing to him, keep it up. It might add years to my lifespan." He then leaves to help out some of his other students.

Viktor turns to Yuuri with a shrug, "Oops?" and Yuuri doubles over in laughter.

* * *

It takes Viktor another two days to come back to the ice and even then, the work-out is very light. He's mostly doing some stroking and a couple of figures, almost like he was just there to have some fun. When he starts jumping, he's only doing single lutzes, which Yuuri finds weirdly fun. When asked why, he just says it's odd that the living legend himself is out there making single jumps looks like the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

When Viktor enters the rink the next day, he upgrades his singles lutzes to doubles.

* * *

"How long are we staying in Hasetsu?" Yuuri asks a couple of days before they leave for Japan. They've already started packing some of their suitcases because they'll be gone for quite some time.

"I was thinking a week?" Viktor is sitting with his laptop and is in the middle of ordering their tickets for the flight, and looks up to Yuuri, "Why do you look like that?"

Yuuri is probably frowning, he's not entirely sure, "It's just a lot of practice time you'll be losing."

Viktor chuckles a little, "That's what you're worried about? Me not having Yakov yell at me for a week? I think I'll be fine, and I'm sure Minako would let me join in on some dance practice. I might not be as good of a ballet dancer as you, but Lilia has definitely ingrained the foundations into me."

Yuuri is still a little sceptical and apparently it shows, because Viktor gestures him over and gives him a hug. It's a little awkward because Viktor is sitting and Yuuri is standing, but it's comforting nonetheless.

"With full week in Hasetsu, we have plenty of time with just the two of us to work on your new programs. Then I'll probably let Yakov and Lilia have you for a little longer in the first week back in Russia to work on my own stuff. Is that good enough compromise, my love?"

"Yeah," Yuuri breathes, "That's good."

* * *

Because they're going to Hasetsu afterwards, they're taking Makkachin with them. Viktor had had a very long phone call with the hotel they were staying at about their pet policies, but in the end it had all worked out.

There are fewer reporters than usual when they arrive at the airport. It's probably because Viktor isn't competing and they're leaving a day earlier than the rest of team Yakov. Viktor, being both in a good mood and always ready to talk to the media, happily answers a couple of questions. They're mostly about why he didn't participate and some about being Yuuri's coach.

Yuuri doesn't really get a chance to listen to what Viktor answers because a young reporter spots him standing with Makkachin and sees her chance to ask him a couple of questions as well.

"I see you're taking your dog with you," she begins suddenly, not really warning Yuuri that he's now in the middle of an interview, "Does that mean you're staying in Japan for an extended period of time?"

"What? Um, yeah, we're visiting some family after the competition," Yuuri says, slightly flustered by the microphone suddenly up in his face. He figures that he has probably made a mistake by telling the media their plans, but the chances that Viktor announces their whereabouts on social media is about 100 percent, so does it really make a difference?

"I see, and what about Viktor. You've been skating under him for roughly a year now. Do you think he's a good coach? And based on your results this season, do you think having him both compete and coach you in an Olympic season will give your both good results?"

"Um..." Yuuri scrabbles, he's not really sure if this reporter is for or against Viktor's current career path, and he's slightly scared of saying the wrong thing, "I'd say that for me personally, Viktor is a very good coach. He's definitely still learning, but we have people who can help both him and me, so we manage. And I think that the results of this season shows that Viktor is definitely capable of both coaching and competing simultaneously, but I would prefer to have our skating speak for itself when the Olympics come around."

"And what about when Viktor retires, what will-"

"I think it's about time for us to go," Viktor interrupts and takes Yuuri's arm, "I'm terribly sorry to cut your conversation short, but we do have a flight to catch." Viktor smiles kindly at the reporter and Yuuri gives a little awkward bow as Viktor guides him away from the reporters.

"The flight is in three hours," Yuuri says once they're out of earshot. They'd arrived early in order to give the interviews Viktor had just dragged them away from.

"My questions started getting a little weird, and you didn't seem particularly comfortable either."

Yuuri shakes his head, "What would you even find 'weird'? You once happily answered what you would name your first born child."

"I did, and I still think that Evgenia is a strong name, but I suppose weird was the wrong word. Hmm, how do I describe it... _shitsurei,_ " Viktor smiles as he finds a good word.

"Yeah," Yuuri agrees, "Mine weren't particularly nice either. Seemed a little passive-aggressive. Or maybe I read it wrong and she was just overenthusiastic."

Viktor laughs again, "Well, hopefully the Japanese reporters are more tactful. Can't really use the flight excuse when we've landed."

* * *

The Japanese journalists are definitely a lot nicer, but Yuuri thinks it has something to do with the fact the Yuuri to begin with rarely give interviews, and it's just a little easier to get a hold of him when he is in Japan. Viktor is very enthusiastically speaking Japanese to all the reporters, even when they start speaking in English. He gets distracted by Viktor more than once and feels a little foolish when he has to ask the reporters to repeat their question. All in all, it's a much less stressful experience than at the Russian airport.

"What did they ask you?" Yuuri asks once they've reached the hotel. They're currently trying to sort through some of their many suitcases to find out where they put the things they need for the competition.

"Mostly things about you."

"Oh," Yuuri says weakly, trying to suppress a blush. He would never have thought that when any sports journalist got the opportunity to interview Viktor Nikiforov, they'd ask questions about Yuuri rather than the living legend himself.

"Why does that surprise you?"

"Just seems like a wasted opportunity," Yuuri says, as he sorts through some of his clothes.

"Because they're Japanese journalists asking the coach of their world champion questions about said champion?" Viktor tilts his head to the side.

"I mean, I was right there, might as well have asked questions about you."

Viktor chuckles: "I think you forget that they have years and years worth of interviews about me, and not nearly as much about you."

"It's not like I never give interviews," Yuuri dismisses, "And everytime I do I always end up saying too much."

Viktor sighs and comes down to sit next to him, "Yuuri, sweety, honey, my love, my-"

"Viktor," Yuuri interrupts before Viktor gets stuck in pet names and forgets his point.

"After Sochi I scoured the internet for Yuuri-content, and I am pretty sure I finished watching all your interviews, your programs, your photoshoots, random training videos, and whatever else Phichit had on his social media in less that a week. There's more information about Yurio than there is about you, and he's not even an adult."

"Yurio is a prodigy, of course people would want to know everything about him."

Viktor places his arms around Yuuri and leans on him in half-hug kind of way. Half-hug because Yuuri is still working on sorting through these suitcases.

"Yuuri, people want to know about you too. And not just after this season. In my Yuuri-search I found many fansites that are basically starving for content. Do you know how many followers I gained when I started posting pictures about you on Instagram? It was crazy. All because your fans are starving to know what your favorite colour is."

"If they don't know it's blue, then they're clearly not my fans," Yuuri says in an attempt to make a joke. It must have worked because Viktor laughs into his shoulder.

"Bad example, but it was all I could think of that wasn't completely inappropriate."

You squints at Viktor suspiciously, "What kinds of websites did you go to?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Viktor smiles innocently and leaves light butterfly kisses on Yuuri's shoulder working up to his neck, "Did you know that there is a lot of fanfiction about us?"

Yuuri finally turns to face Viktor, but he does so rather quickly, and since Viktor is leaning on him, he falls rather disgracefully into Yuuri's arms.

"Is that so," Yuuri says seductively, "Tell me more."

Viktor looks up to Yuuri, his innocent smile slowly being replaced by a flirtatious one, "As you wish."

* * *

Seeing as they arrived early, and it's "only" World Team Trophy, neither of them are in a hurry to do much. They both wake up, Viktor before Yuuri, and end up just lazing around in bed going through some social media. Viktor is resting his head on Yuuri's chest and keeping him warm with his (very naked) body.

"When I was ill," Viktor suddenly says, and Yuuri looks away from his phone to look at him. Viktor has changed his position and is now lying fully on top of Yuuri and looking directly at him, "Did I apologize to you?"

"You don't remember?" Yuuri asks and instinctively reaches to run his fingers through Viktor's hair. He's not sure if he's imagining that it's a little longer than it used to be, even if Viktor had just gotten a haircut. That's a thought he can save for later.

"No I do, but I wasn't sure if it was a dream or not."

"Wouldn't you know the difference?" Yuuri questions, "Didn't you once tell me that you either dream really weird stuff or nothing at all?"

"Normally yeah, but when I have a fever, I can't really tell the difference between being awake and asleep. Probably because I'm mostly just half asleep. There was a full day where I had convinced myself you had brought home another dog."

Yuuri laughs lightly, "And you didn't question it?"

"In my defense I was ill. I didn't question much," Viktor leans into Yuuri's hand, clearly enjoying the feeling, "But I was wondering why you'd gotten a pug and not a poodle."

"You should have known then," Yuuri smiles, "We're poodle-purists. But what does this have to do with you apologizing? Even if you thought it was a dream, we did talk about it, didn't we?"

Viktor closes his eyes, "We did, but I kind of wanted to explain myself," Viktor pauses for a while, looking for the right words and while Yuuri patiently waits and keeps combing his hair, "All my previous relationships, they all failed because I wasn't more… present. I always had practice, or competition, or something, and when I finally got the time to go on dates or just spend some time with them, I was always very tired, or absent, or my time was limited."

Viktor takes a deep breath, trying to keep from rambling too much, "I just, I love you so much, and I just, I don't know, I wasn't really thinking clearly…"

"It's okay," Yuuri reassures him when it seems like Viktor is struggling to find the words without really admitting his insecurities, "If all your previous partners couldn't make it work with you then they weren't worth it."

Yuuri rolls over and moves them so that he can look at Viktor directly, "I love you too, and I'd never leave, even if you spend a full week sleeping, or if you get too caught up in skating. We have a whole life time together. We can afford to spend time chasing our dreams."

Viktor looks at him blankly for a while. Perhaps he's trying to find the lie. Yuuri is sure someone has told him they'd never leave and then they'd left. But Yuuri isn't like all the ones before. Yuuri loves Viktor. Every single part of him. Even the crazy part that makes Viktor want to coach and compete at the same time. Even the part that makes him think he's neglecting their relationship to do the thing he loves. It's what makes Viktor who he is, and Yuuri wouldn't have him any other way.

Viktor's face breaks into something Yuuri doesn't really catch before he buries his face in Yuuri's chest. Yuuri pulls Viktor close and allows him to go through his emotions at his own pace.

"God, I love you so much," Viktor mumbles into his chest, almost like he's talking to himself, "How did I ever get so lucky?"

Yuuri kisses him, "I don't know.". He wants to tell him it's not luck. It's fate. It's Yuuri's only explanation for their relationship that still seems so unreal to him. It's been a year since Viktor came to Hasetsu, since he walked into Yuuri's life unannounced, unapologetic and turned everything upside down. And somehow, in some way Yuuri can't explain, it feels like this was always meant to be.

* * *

Over the next few days, more and more skaters arrive in Tokyo for the competition. The competition isn't as big as others, seeing as just six countries participate, sending only eight athletes each to compete in all four categories. It's a low-pressure competition, with a fifty percent chance of getting a medal, where it's never going to be your fault alone if you don't get one. Yuuri has only participated once, and that was many years ago, but he thinks this time he can have a lot of fun.

On the evening before the competition, they go on a double date with JJ and Isabella. Despite the fact that Viktor seems to be holding some sort of grudge against JJ (which Yuuri for the life of him doesn't understand where came from). It's a very pleasant evening with good food and lively conversations. Viktor seems to have taken a particular liking to Isabella, and at some point both Yuuri and JJ make it a point to just look at them as they discuss (rather passionately) how to make the best chocolate chip cookies.

* * *

Yuuri has never felt this relaxed prior to a competition. It's almost like he's not even there to compete. It's weird, he thinks. But as he looks around in the warm-up area, the energy here is different from any other competition. Skaters are casually talking to each other across both categories and nationalities. They're supposed to get ready for the introduction ceremony where each team will show off their members and put on a short show, usually involving the latest memes and trends. Yuuri isn't entirely sure what Team Japan is doing, he's just been told to wave a scarf around and twirl until they all huddle together at the end. It seems simple enough.

Viktor is wearing his standard grey three-piece suit, but Yuuri also knows he has a Japanese flag hidden somewhere in there, so there is no way he's going to keep up his professional facade. And no one is really expecting him too. At the last Team Trophy, Viktor wore a big, pink bow throughout the entire event. He even wore it when he was skating his own programs. It was quite hilarious, and it had helped Yuuri a great deal when he was getting stressed out over his impending exams.

One of Yuuri's teammates today is Minami, and Yuuri almost feels bad for the kid that he had to ask Viktor why Minami was there instead of Takuya. Viktor, apparently, had been quite unimpressed by Yuuri's lack of knowledge and insight. He simply explained that with Japan's three spots for the Olympics (A word Yuuri now hated because of all the dumb expectations), it was imperative that Minami, who was a good candidate for the third spot, gained experience in the international skating field.

But the event went on, and after the introductions, the skating started. And Yuuri was still not nervous at all. It helped a lot that instead of waiting in the warm-up area, all of the skaters were just huddled together in their decorated booths, cheering their team on with ridiculous banners, fans, inflatable hands and whatever else was decorated with the Japanese flags or cherry blossoms. Yuuri even took a good look on some of the other booths, and had hard time not laughing whenever Team Canada were cheering. Half of them were wearing actual moose hats, which meant that whenever they started jumping and cheering, the enormous antlers would bounce all over the place and make it look like they were clapping as well. Yuuri thought that it was perhaps the ridiculousness of the event that made it seem less like a competition of skating, and more like a cheering match.

But they still had to skate. Because Japan is the host country, Minami is set to open up the men's event, while Yuuri is set to close it. Yuuri can't help but feel like it's a bit ironic that the one time where he doesn't feel any anxiety whatsoever towards a competition is also when he finally gets to skate last.

Yuuri watches (from the warm-up area this time) as Minami skates his short program. It's not quite at the standard that it was at during Nationals, but since this is Minami's first ISU competition since his appearance at NHK Trophy, it grants him a personal best by quite some points, even if doesn't have a quad and the triple axel is a little under rotated. After the first group has finished up, the Frenchmen lead the competition, but with both of their skaters already having finished, it's time for the final group to change up the placements.

Despite the relaxed atmosphere, none of them have a particularly good warm-up. Yuuri lands his triple axel, and that's about it. He can't really seem to muster up the energy for a quad, and when he does, the timing is off and in either case, he just pops all the jumps. When he finally gives up on the jumps and just skates to keep his legs going during the warm-up, he notices that everyone is in the same situation. It's the classic post-season crash that's slowly catching up to them. But if they're all popping their jumps right and left, then the competition will still be tight. It will be about who can wow the audience the most.

"Maybe don't do the quads," Viktor says after the warm-up. Georgi is opening up the group, and while Yuuri isn't currently looking (Viktor always manages to keep his attention), he can hear by the hesitant cheers, that he's probably out there popping his jumps just like in the warm-up.

"I wasn't going to, but maybe you should sound more confident, when you tell me stuff like that, coach," Yuuri teases.

"Well, you have a bad habit of not following orders, so I thought suggesting things would be a better way to do it," Viktor smiles as he takes Yuuri's empty water bottle.

"Then you're technically still ordering me to do it, but it's okay," Yuuri says and gets a little closer to him, than Viktor might have anticipated, "I'll still seduce the crap out of you."

But Viktor doesn't back down and returns with his own cheeky remark, "Be careful with that," he says in a low voice, making sure no one else can hear, "I might do something bad."

He presses a thumb on Yuuri's lower lip, and moves in for a kiss, but Yuuri stops him, "Save that for later, gorgeous. We don't need an audience for this."

Viktor takes a step back, "As you wish," and he goes to refill Yuuri's bottle.

When Yuuri turns around he notices that there are quite a few people staring at him - JJ even gives him a wink and a thumbs up - and he just smiles victoriously.

The event moves quickly since there are just twelve of them. While no one really seems to be skating anywhere near their best, no one seems too down about it. Some even have the nerve to try out some new moves. JJ tries for the quad loop again. He lands it, wobbly and possibly under rotated, but it's quite a good effort for someone who's possibly doing it just for the heck of it. He messes up his combination though, and falls quite some ways behind both Georgi and Leo. Yurio can't seem to muster up the strength for any quads either, and even falls on his triple axel. It lands him behind Georgi, but ahead of Leo. Yuuri is surprised at Yurio's passive reaction, but it does look like he's about to fall asleep right there in the Kiss & Cry.

Guang-Hong, against all odds, actually lands his quad as well as his triple-triple combination. The axel escapes him though, but he takes the lead by a few points and with his improved component scores, even earns himself a personal best.

When Yuuri is up, he sends a kiss to Viktor and plans on merely entertaining the audience. Scores, and jumps, and placements are all irrelevant to him at this point. He flies through his triple axel, a jump that really never lets him down, and feels oddly good about doing a triple salchow-triple toe loop for his combo. He almost over rotates the triple flip - like his body is only remembering the quad - but he controls it and ends his performance with the crowd drowning out both his music and thoughts. The only feeling that lingers is that he might have performed the best program in his country ever. Yuuri has always had a weird relationship with competitions in Japan, but maybe this could be a turning point.

Despite how proud he is of his own skate, the low technical score isn't enough to overtake Guang-Hong, even if he has stellar presentation scores. But it's all good. For now, Yuuri's performance sends Japan into third place, only behind China in second and Russia in first.

Back at the hotel, Viktor makes good on his threat and practically devours Yuuri.

* * *

 **Free Skate**

Viktor may or may not have compromised his position as a coach by having given in to his own desires, but when Yuuri had reciprocated and seemed to not care at all about the consequences, it was hard to hold back.

Viktor wakes up, holding a sleeping Yuuri close, and feels more like he's on his honeymoon than in the middle of a competition. While it is still quite early and the competition doesn't start until later in the afternoon, Viktor knows he should get up, take a shower, and maybe order some breakfast. But he'd much rather stay in bed, counting Yuuri's eyelashes while he sleeps so soundly in his arms. Viktor is ready for their get away to Hastetsu. He might have promised Yuuri that they would work on his new programs, but he feels like they deserve a break.

Viktor's mind slips away to a week of them in Hasetsu, hiking in the forest, fooling around at the beach, sharing meals with the Katsukis, going out on dinner dates at the local ramen shop, doing all those cheesy couple things that they've barely had time for because of all their competitions. Viktor thinks that would be perfect.

"What are you smiling about?" Yuuri asks him, his voice snapping Viktor out of his daydreams and into reality. A reality where Yuuri is looking at him with such a tender look that Viktor isn't entirely sure this isn't a fantasy as well.

"You," Viktor says and kisses Yuuri on the nose. He receives a giggle for that and does it a couple more times.

They slowly gather the energy to get out of bed only because joint showers are very lovely and they sit through a quiet breakfast. Yuuri is ignoring him in a favour of texting Phichit, but it allows Viktor to go through his own inbox, where he finds quite the interesting message. The message contains nothing but a music file and a signature, but Viktor knows exactly what it is, and quickly finds a pair of headphones. Yuuri gives him a curious look for a second, but soon diverts his attention back to his conversation with Phichit.

The music is an original piece. Something Viktor requested a few weeks back, just before Worlds where the idea had struck him. It's not made by his usual composer, but by an old friend of his. It's a piano piece, which starts of slow and increases in tempo until the very end. The music itself doesn't lend itself to any one interpretation and that's exactly the point. It's flexible, able to change with whoever dares to use it, but also easily overpowering if one cannot tame it. This is the music Yuuri will skate to next season. Viktor can't wait for Yuuri to listen to it, but he has to wait. At least until after the competition, and maybe even longer than that if he can truly convince Yuuri to have their week in Hasetsu be skating-free.

Viktor keeps listening to the music as he goes through some more of his messages, while munching on a piece of buttered bread. There is a whole string of texts from Chris that are more or less just live commentary on the men's event from yesterday.

There are some very skating-centric comments like: _wow, JJ's loop is huge. He'll be hard to beat if he can get it stable._ And some more Chris-like comments: _You're aware that you look like you're having an orgasm every time Yuuri skates his short program right?_

After that Chris then went on to send him screenshots of what did indeed look like Viktor was enjoying Yuuri's program more than what should be allowed. When Viktor apparently hadn't answered Chris even long after the event had ended, he had just concluded that it had all ended up in sex and had send him a different lewd smiley every hour (Viktor was unaware that most of these existed). Viktor finally replies with his own lewd emoji just to confirm Chris' weirdly good instincts, and despite the late hour in Switzerland, Chris immediately responds with _O.O naughty coach Viktor._

And as the cherry on top, a new message containing about a hundred eggplant emojis from Phichit pops up. Viktor wonders what would happen if he just kept Yuuri for himself even as the competition resumed.

He would never find out, because they were soon out the door, on their way to the rink for a light practice before the competition continued. Unlike all their previous competitions, there was no rest day between the short and free program, but no one seemed to mind. The pleasant atmosphere from yesterday continued on, and even though Viktor was technically there to coach Yuuri, he still ended up chatting to quite a few of the skaters. A lot of the Japanese competitors became a lot less shy when he spoke Japanese to them, and he thought about how he would like to set up a skating team somewhere in Japan. Maybe in Fukuoka to be close to Hasetsu.

When the men's event started Yuuri looked quite relaxed. He spent most of his warm yp dancing around and going through a balletic interpretation of his free skate (which Viktor absolutely filmed all of), all while keeping up with how everyone did.

The tendencies of the short program were also carried over to the free, and the whole competition became an epic pop-concert. Some people did manage to land their quads, or at least some of them. JJ landed all of his quads very impressively, but couldn't quite manage a triple axel. The first he fell on, and the second one he stepped out of, thus becoming unable to complete the planned combination. But even so, with the way the competition was going, the almost 200-point score seemed pretty untouchable.

Yurio tried hard though, but he seemed to have the opposite problem of JJ. Beautiful axels, but unable to really do the quads. Viktor had expected as much. It was very normal for a Junior to start of the season strong (although maybe not as strong as Yurio), and then slowly falter as the season went on. It was a very simple lack of experience (which Yurio was well aware of), since the Junior season ended much earlier than the Senior season, and they were simply used to peak earlier. Yurio, at this point, would be mentally exhausted beyond compare, and him not being able to rotate his jumps had less to do with his physical conditioning, than it had with him not being able to fully focus and commit for a full four and a half minutes. Even so, with everyone not doing well, he was currently second to JJ.

Guang-Hong, also experiencing the jump from Junior to Senior, had similar problems to Yurio. Although he had less quads, Viktor could clearly see that his focus faltered around halfway through the program, and despite having won the short, this would probably be one of his worst scoring free skates of the season.

Leo and Georgi both did… okay. The only thing that made the difference between the two of them was that Georgi was simply stronger technically, so even if he popped a jump or two, he easily went ahead of the American. So that meant that with only Yuuri left, Russia were in second and third, while Canada lead the game.

Due to the results of the previous events, it seemed unlikely that Japan would get on the podium, even if Yuuri was to win the free skate. There was simply to much ground for them to make up, and while they still had the women's to go through the next day, they would have needed their pair team to somehow score a personal best by over thirty points to stand a chance. Viktor knows Yuuri is well aware of this, but Viktor thinks that even if Japan had been in the lead, Yuuri would still have taken the relaxed approach he currently was.

Viktor doesn't even know what to say to Yuuri before the program, so he just hugs him and sends him off. The program is just as beautiful as always. It becomes apparent pretty quickly that Yuuri isn't going for high technical content, and Viktor is sure Yuuri iss just enjoying the moment. But Yuuri is, as always, full of surprise. Viktor catches on when Yuuri only does a solo triple lutz where his last combination is planned. Instead, Yuuri does his beautiful quad flip and casually puts a triple toe on the end of it, successfully becoming the first person to land a quad flip combination (mainly because Viktor had never dared try it outside of practice). Viktor thinks this is the perfect time and whips out his large Japanese flag he'd been carrying around all competition and starts cheering loudly for Yuuri before he's even finished his program. When Yuuri comes to meet him at the gate, instead of swooping him into a hug, Viktor drapes the flag around him.

Despite Yuuri's flawless performance with a spectacular end, he still ends up in fourth, but he seems pretty satisfied. And he should be. The program was a good way to end the season, and he even managed to - once again - put his name in the skating history books.

It goes without saying that after the competition ends for the day, the two of them go out with quite a lot of their fellow skaters. It will probably be the last time they see people like JJ, Guang-Hong and Leo for quite a while, so Yuuri - who is quite fond of all three of them - makes sure to spend his time with them.

The next day is short, and Viktor doesn't get to spend a lot of time with Yuuri. Since he's not actually a competitor he's not allowed in the team Japan booth, although he does cheer with them whenever one of their countrymen is performing. In the end, team Japan doesn't get on the podium - a result of only having strong individual competitors, and of those only Yuuri competed. The women had been represented by two relatively young upcoming skaters, and even if Minami was the national bronze medalist, he was a far cry from Yuuri. So the host country had to settle for a fifth place finish.

Russia had managed quite well (especially without Viktor who was always certain to bring home a lot of points for the team) and had earned themselves silver. They'd been beaten by a measly two points by team China, but were quite a few points ahead of France in third. After them were the Americans, and at a shocking sixth place were team Canada, who had been expected to at least be on the podium. But there were no hard feelings. In the end, it had all been great fun for everyone involved. Viktor took a deep breath as the off-season could finally begin.

* * *

"No gold this time," Yuuri says when they come back to the hotel. He has barely taken off his shoes as he collapses on the bed, the stress of the season maybe finally catching up to him.

"At least it wasn't silver," Viktor teases and Yuuri might have laughed a little if he weren't so exhausted.

Yuuri closes his eyes, and for a moment Viktor thinks he might have fallen asleep. "I could use a break," he says after a while and Viktor smiles.

"Yeah, I think that'd be good," he says quietly and sits down next to Yuuri, "Maybe I could finally ask you out on that date."

"I look forward to it."

* * *

 **This is more or less the end of 'part one', as the next chapter begins the next grand prix series a couple of months down the road.**


	7. Rostelecom Cup

**For a new season, they all needed new programs, but because I am not choreographer, I needed to draw from actual programs. I'll put the programs and their inspiration in the endnotes.**

 **Fact of the Chapter: The skaters who placed first, second and third in the World Championships are not allowed to compete at the same grand prix event, meaning that Yuuri, Viktor and Otabek wouldn't be given the same assignment. The same is true for fourth, fifth and sixth place, meaning that Chris, JJ and Yurio could also not get the same assignment.**

* * *

Yuuri wakes up before his alarm and feels as well rested as ever. As he sits up, he stretches his arms above his head and lets out a quiet groan as he can feel a slight pain in his shoulder. He rubs the spot to soothe the pain and takes a look at the damage. There is some discolouring just around the spot where he hit the ice the previous day, but it doesn't look as bad as when he had gone to bed. He has quite a few bruises all over his body, each of them from when he had fallen during practice. The state of his body reminds Yuuri of when he first started learning the quad toe. While falling comes with the profession of being a figure skater, there's always a heightened risk when learning new skills. This is probably one of the only sports where learning how to fall is an essential part of training.

Yuuri finally slips out of bed and goes to find Viktor. He only has to follow the smell of food to find Viktor - his hair is in a loose ponytail and he is covered by an apron and black panties only - cooking up some eggs and bacon. Yuuri carefully walks up behind him, slipping his hands under the apron and hugs him. Despite being almost nude, Viktor is very warm.

"Good morning, my love," Viktor greets, "How was your beauty sleep?"

"Mmm~ Good," Yuuri responds as he nestles into Viktor's shoulder, "Still a little sore from yesterday."

Viktor giggles. He himself is also riddled with bruises across his body, "We'll have to work harder today then," he says cheerily, "To ensure you won't hurt yourself any further."

"Sounds like a plan."

They eat their breakfast - eggs, bacon, avocado toast which Viktor is having a phase with, and greek yogurt with fruits and a drop of honey - as they go over their plans for the day. For the past many, many training sessions, they've been working at correcting the mistakes Yuuri made at his first competition of the season, a Challenge Cup which took place in America just two weeks ago. After a rough start in the short program, where he had fallen almost ten points behind Phichit, who was also competing there, Yuuri had made up for difference in the free skate, and barely taken gold.

Yuuri and Phichit competing against each other had not been a coincidence, even if Viktor insisted that it most definitely was. When they had both trained under Celestino in Detroit, it had been a tradition that Celestino would take a good handful of his skaters to compete at the US Classics. When Yuuri had told Viktor about this, he had gotten a very excited look on his face, and he had clearly been mailing back and forth with Celestino ever since. Safe to say, both Yuuri's current and previous coach knew that Yuuri and Phichit tended to bring out the best in each other.

That hadn't really stopped them from making a lot of mistakes though, but that was the whole point of a challenger competition. To get your first bad skate out of the way before the grand prix series began. And it was approaching fast. Yuuri had less than two weeks left of preparation, because he had been assigned to the very first competition, the Rostelecom Cup in Moscow. Furthermore, ever since the assignments had been released in the summer, the figure skating fans across the globe had dubbed the event: The Battle of the Yuris. Not the most creative title ever, but it worked.

Just like last year, both him and Yurio were competing in Russia. They would be joined by both Georgi and Mila, who along with Yurio would be home-crowd favorites, while Yuuri and Michele Crispino would be the outsiders, fighting in a sea of Russian skaters. The event had all it took to kick of the season with a bang.

Yuuri wasn't the only one who had participated in a competition already. Yurio was also fresh off of his first win, which had taken place in Italy. He had not come back quite as satisfied as Yuuri though, as he too had fallen quite far behind in the short program - being beaten by both Guang-Hong, Minami and a fellow Russian - and had won the competition only because he had won the free skate, since him and Guang-Hong had tied in the total score. This was only the second time Yuuri had ever witnessed a tie-breaker situation, and he could only imagine how Yurio felt about it.

So coming into the Rostelecom Cup, Yurio wanted to win 'properly', while Yuuri had his own goal of redeeming himself from last year's fourth place which had only just given him a ticket to the Finals. But as both Viktor and Yakov kept reminding them, this season was a marathon, not a sprint. The goal was the Olympics, not a single grand prix event. To keep their focus, both of them would only perform three quads in the free skate, and not the planned four they had been practicing for all season.

Practice that day was just as rough as the day before and Yuuri returned home with new bruise on his hip, acquired as he had fallen after a quad-triple combination and crashed into the barrier. He had then gone on to land that particular combination perfectly five times, before Viktor had called it a day.

Coming home, Yuuri immediately turns on the tv and finds that he had made it just in time to catch the competition that is currently taking place in Saitama: Japan Open. It's a team competition, featuring only three teams, one of them being Team Europe, which this year is composed of Georgi, Michele, Mila and Sara. Yuuri had initially been invited to participate for Team Japan, but between the Challenge Cup and the Rostelecom Cup, both him and Viktor had deemed it too much travelling in very little time, and the two men representing Japan ended up being Takuya and Minami. JJ and Leo are also there representing Team North America, and Yuuri is interested in seeing all the new programs. Yuuri is especially paying attention to Michele, who is the only skater in the Russian grand prix whose programs are unknown to Yuuri.

Halfway through the competition, Yuuri has to start his dinner preparations, but he still tries his best to follow the competition. It is no surprise that team Europe is dominating the competition, and when both Leo and JJ messes up multiple jumping passes, it is impossible for anyone to catch up. Which means that with Georgi and Mickey on top of the podium, the top four men at the Rostelecom Cup will all already have one win under their belt and will be ready to take the second one.

Viktor comes through the door just as the victory ceremony begins, he has Makkachin with him who runs excitedly over to Yuuri who kneels down to get licked all over. Viktor doesn't follow, because he barely has his shoes off as he drags his feet to the couch and rather disgracefully collapses. Yuuri is almost certain that Viktor has fallen asleep, but then Team Europe gets announced as the winners and Viktor raises a tired fist into the air and sleepily cheers.

"Don't sleep," Yuuri says anyway, "Dinner is almost done."

"I'm not sleeping," Viktor says and yawns. Yuuri rolls his eyes, and not thirty seconds later is Viktor asleep.

Ten minutes later, Yuuri pulls Viktor from the couch so they can eat dinner.

As they prepare to sleep, Yuuri notices that Viktor too spots a new bruise. It's located just above the elbow, and it's a nice purple colour.

"Loop practice?" Yuuri asks. Viktor has been trying to tame that jump all summer, but it's still has the lowest success rate of his quads by far. Yuuri is wondering if Viktor has doubts about putting it in his program. Afterall, he already has four other jumps to choose from. But Viktor doesn't know how to sit still.

"Actually it was the axel," Viktor says as he rubs some aloe vera gel on the bruise. He's already treated Yuuri's bruises, although Yuuri would have been fine with just letting heal on its own.

"Really?" Yuuri says surprised, "Your triple axel is so good though."

"Not as good as yours," Viktor laughs, "But it was the end of practice and I was really tired. Under rotated it pretty badly and fell."

When they've finished their evening routine, they go to bed and sleep until the schedule starts again. They have no time to waste.

They take an early morning flight to Moscow. They fly out with a big group of skaters and coaches, and when they arrive at Sheremetyevo Airport, they are swarmed by at least two dozen reporters. Although the off-season has allowed Yuuri to learn a bit more Russian, he still greatly prefers speaking English, especially to reporters, but there are already a few Japanese journalists here to also ask him a dozen questions. Not even a minute into what is now a small press conference, Viktor has been whisked away and is surrounded by the American media. Looking around, the only one close to Yuuri is Yurio, who actually seems to be getting closer to Yuuri with each passing minute.

After about ten minutes of media interactions, Yuuri feels someone tug at his shirt, and he gives a quick glance to Yurio, who is carefully answering a question in Russian. Yuuri picks out that it's something about the nature of his short program and its challenges, but Yurio pulls discreetly at his shirt again, and Yuuri starts looking for an escape.

It takes him about two minutes to make up an excuse, and he pulls Yurio along as he hastily explains that the two of them are supposed to be at the rink soon for an early practice. They pretty much run out of the airport and into the first cab they can find, and Yurio just sinks into his seat as the driver takes them to their hotel.

"Was it really that bad?" Yuuri asks, since Yurio doesn't actually have a problem with media, he just has a bad habit of swearing if he's in a bad mood.

"They all just yelled their questions at me at the same time. Couldn't be bothered to stay if they can't even get their shit together," Yurio complains. He looks a little exhausted, but maybe it's due to the early hour and the fact that they just got assaulted by journalists. Yuuri leaves him be.

On the cab ride, he texts Viktor to take care of their stuff, because in their rush to leave, they only had their backpacks with them. Him and Yurio then get everyone checked in at the hotel, and in the absence of coaches, they raid the snack bar.

Yuuri and Yurio are in an intense Mario Kart battle when Viktor stumbles through the door, balancing way too many suitcases and bags and because Yuuri is a good fiancé, he does not help him, and is fully focused on beating Yurio instead. In the end Yurio wins the game and cheers triumphantly, as Yuuri falls backwards in defeat.

"Prepare yourself for another defeat, Katsudon!" Yurio says and gets ready to leave. If Viktor is here, then so is Yakov, and he's probably looking for Yurio since he disappeared from the airport.

"I won't lose again, not even in Mario Kart," Yuuri says as Yurio leaves with a big smile on his face.

"Did you leave to play video games?" Viktor asks, now organizing their suitcases, finding the things Yuuri will need for his first practice in a few hours.

"Nah, Yurio just got a little overwhelmed and wanted to leave."

"Awww~" Vikor coos, and his face turns soft, "That's so cute."

"Of course you think that," Yuuri shakes his head and starts packing away the game, "How long 'till practice?"

The rink is only two minutes away from the hotel, so even if they have to go through a sea of reporters, it doesn't take long to get there. There aren't many people at the rink - if you ignore all the camera men - and Yuuri takes his time warming up his legs before he starts jumping. He treats the photographers to a nice quad flip-double toe combination (which receives plenty of applause), before it's time for him to go through his short program.

Unlike last year, Yuuri (or is it Viktor since he's the one making the decisions) is not putting all of his jumps in the short program in the second half. Instead, he is putting his quad flip in combination. It actually makes the scoring potential of his short program lower than the previous season, but the music Yuuri is using this year just doesn't lend itself to having all the jumps in the second half. But Yuuri really likes this short program. While the music is new and original, it reminds Yuuri of all those classical pieces he used to skate to when training under Celestino. It became something like his trademark, and Viktor was all for going back to those roots. It's always good to bring something familiar to the Olympics.

When Yuuri goes through his short program in the public practice, he only jumps the triple axel, and marks both his combination and solo quad. There is no need to give the public the full experience of the program before the event starts.

The evening of the short program soon approaches, and Yuuri feels ready to wow the audience with a better short program than at the Challenge Cup. In a streak of luck, he is the second to last to skate and he's currently in the warm-up area watching the first group of skaters go through their six minute warm up. There are five Russians in the men's event, and with only twelve competitors in total, that's a whole lot. Three of them are in the first group, and Yuuri trains with two of them at the Sports Champions Club, so he's rooting for them to do well. One of them is a boy, only a couple of months younger than Yurio, making his senior debut and Yuuri remembers him from all the times he has come up to him to ask him to show him a triple axel. Their very first interaction had been him nervously asking Yuuri for an autograph.

And the boy, Dmitri, has a great skate. He lands his triple axel beautifully and proceeds with a great triple-triple combination, and a solo triple to finish up the program. He beats his personal best by over ten points and Yuuri feels weirdly proud of him.

When the second group takes the ice, Yuuri is surprised by the amounts of Russian flags that have his name on it - and no, he does not mean that they have Yurio's name on them, but that they actually have his name, Katsuki Yuuri, in kanji, written on Russian flags. It makes him feel both at home and under pressure. He had been relieved when he had learned that he had not been assigned to NHK Trophy this year, especially since the Finals were in Japan. Because while he does love home, he still has a hard time competing in Japan.

Georgi opens up the group by performing to Vivaldi's Winter from The Four Seasons, and it is the single most dramatic performance Georgi has ever had, and that says a lot. At some point he starts literally throwing around snow and ice - and Yuuri thinks he hits a judge at some point and doesn't know if it's good or bad. But apart from the ice throwing, Georgi actually has a pretty solid program. The step sequence is extremely unique, with a good balance of quick steps and long strides on deep edges. He has a small mistake on his first jump, but if this is how he skates at his first competition, then he has a great season ahead of him. He scores just below 100 points, and that sets the standard. The next skater is from France, and he does fairly well. He doesn't have a quad, and his skating skills are okay, but it seems quite bland after the show Georgi put on.

Then it's Michele, and while Yuuri saw his free skate at Japan Open, he doesn't know what his short program is. He is surprised when the music that plays is Gypsy Dance, as it was a piece of music Sara skated to when she went to the Sochi Olympics four years ago. Mickey's interpretation of the music is quite different than his sister's. Sara's program had been playful in nature, while Mickey had taken a more sophisticated take. Given that he is now four years older than Sara had been at the previous Olympics, the difference in approach makes sense. Mickey has kept the triple lutz-triple loop combination that he had started doing last season, and it has only gotten better. He goes into second only two points behind Georgi.

A veteran skater from Canada is the next, but Yuuri doesn't get to follow his skate as he starts preparing for his own short program. Viktor guides him to the rink just before the Canadian finishes up his short program, and gives Yuuri a little pat on the back as he sends him out for a final short warm-up. Yuuri doesn't actually catch the score the Canadian gets, but he skates over to Viktor for some final encouragement just before his name is called.

"First competition," Viktor starts as he takes Yuuri's hand.

"Second actually," Yuuri mumbles, but squeezes Viktor's hand for comfort nonetheless.

"Right, second competition, first important one, but not so important that you need to break any records. Focus on the performance. Make me believe that even if you were to mess up all your jumps, you're still the best."

Yuuri smiles. Viktor has such a weird way of encouraging him.

His name is called, and with a final hug, Yuuri is off to properly begin his season.

Yuuri doesn't move immediately when the first notes of the piano starts. It's to make the music feel incomplete until he starts skating. His first movements are light, slow, like falling snow on a windless day. He speeds up a little for his triple axel, but as it is best jump, he is able to jump it almost from a standstill, and he exits the jump faster than he enters it, which matches the music that is slowly getting faster. He then enters his first spin, which once again starts of slow, but as he changes from one foot to the other the accelerates, and he exits the spin with the most speed he has showcased thus far. As he enters the second spin, he reaches the peak of his rotational speed, and he starts hearing the audience cheering before the end of it.

He then enters the second half and brings out his new weapon, the quad flip-triple toe combination, and he nails it. He then gears up for his final quad, the toe loop, but stumbles on the landing, barely keeping his hands off the ice. It's okay though, because now comes the step sequence, and with Yuuri's already great confidence in his steps and Viktor's daily praise of it, he is pretty sure he is unrivaled in this area of skating. The step sequence is quick, fast paced, and packed with intricate turns and twists. Not one part of Yuuri's body is not in motion, and everything looks like it is Yuuri who controls the music. He enters his final spin with the roar of the crowd behind him and as he strikes his final pose with a flourish of his hands, he feels absolutely great.

Yuuri greets the audience and picks up a plushie Viktor on his way out and uses it to wave to the camera that films him leaving the ice. Viktor envelops him in a hug before he gives him his guards, and looks too proud for words.

The first thing Yuuri does in the Kiss & Cry is inhale the water bottle Viktor offers him. The program is very exhausting, and Yuuri thanks Viktor (in his head) that he had not put all the jumps in the second half. He is sure it would have killed him.

Viktor makes Yuuri look to the monitor as it replays parts of his program.

"It's a little hard to tell from this angle, but I think your last quad was slightly under rotated," Viktor says as the monitor shows Yuuri fighting to keep himself on his feet after the shaky landing.

"Yeah," Yuuri breathes, still catch his breath, "The entry into the jump takes a lot of the speed out of it, so it's hard for me to control. I'll get it though. We gotta have something to work on."

Viktor smiles and is about to say something, when Yuuri gets his score. There is obviously a quality deduction, as well as a downgrade on the last quad, and the mistake is probably reflected a little in his presentation score as well, but Yuuri takes the lead by three points, barely breaking the 100-point barrier. Yuuri thanks his good pcs for the score.

The crowd then grows louder than they have all night, because now it's Yurio's turn. Yuuri and Viktor waste no time to go up to the boards to stand beside Yakov and Lilia so that they can watch Yurio from as close as possible.

Yurio's program both plays to his strengths as well as forces him to deal with all his weaknesses. It's not unusual for Viktor and Yakov to argue, but when Viktor had presented his idea for Yurio's new short program, Yakov had protested. They had fought over the matter for five days straight, but when Yurio and eventually Lilia started backing up Viktor, Yakov had to give in. The first thing they had fought over was the song choice.

It was another heavy metal/rock song, which was very reminiscent of Yurio's exhibition form last season - which had not provided Yakov with happy memories. Viktor had argued for the song choice due to it obviously being a genre Yurio liked as well as something he had proved he could skate to. But at the same time, Yurio struggled with involving the audience in his performances and with Viktor's choreography, he had tried to create the feeling of Yurio being the rockstar putting on a concert for his fans. Something which required Yurio to connect. So that had been the first argument, which Viktor had won when Yurio had looked at Yakov like a hurt kitten, when he kept rejecting the idea.

The second argument had been the new quad. Yurio had the most unstable and questionable triple lutz, Yakov had ever seen, and he had worked with Viktor since he was a junior. Viktor who has infamous for learning the quad flip, so that he had a good reason to take the triple lutz out of his programs until he eventually conquered the lutz at the ripe age of 25… and then apparently forgotten how to do last season. So Yakov wanted Yurio to focus solely on the lutz, while Viktor thought Yurio had all the qualities needed to land a good quad loop. And since Viktor was training the same jump, wouldn't it make it easier for Yakov too? And it wasn't like Viktor was just coming out of left field with this idea either. Yuuri had noticed it too when Yurio had come to Hasetsu for the first time. The boy had excellent edge jumps. While the axel could be a little iffy at times, the salchow was Yurio's best friend and his triple loop was just as good. Yuuri would have thought that Yurio would learn the jump after the Olympics, but apparently all Russians are crazy, because Lilia backed up the quad loop idea, and Yakov lost that one too.

The third argument had been the rest of the jump layout, and honestly Yuuri had laughed when he had heard Viktor's proposal. The entire program was just edge jumps. The quad loop was obviously first because it was a new element, and Yurio needed as much energy as he could possibly get. Then came his combination, which obviously featured his favourite quad salchow, but was then followed by a triple loop. A combination Yuuri had seen attempted once, but never executed. And as it was mandatory, the last jump was the triple axel, which was the only jump in the second half. The layout was completely outrageous, and it wasn't until Yurio had shown Yakov that he could do it, that it had been approved.

The last argument had been about the costume. The only one that had ended up becoming a compromise. Viktor had had a whole vision for it. An edgy style, wild hair, heavy eye-makeup, mostly black clothing with some shiny gems and some flashes of red and pink. Yurio had been completely on board. Yakov and Lilia had quite literally thrown the idea out of the window and suggested a much more conservative costume involving a white shirt and some standard black pants.

In the end, it was an idea Yuuri and Mila suggested that was used. The costume was white, but with a dark coloured vest, and a few matching designs on the side of the pants. His hair would be in the same style as during his exhibition, but only with some light eyeliner to highlight his eyes. The costume still reflected the style of the program, but it was much less controversial than the one from _Welcome to the Madness_ and definitely more appropriate for a sixteen year old.

So this was Yurio's program, and Yuuri loved it. Unlike with Agape, which had taken Yurio half a season to understand and perfect, he had loved the music from the beginning, and it showed. Of course, this was still a Nikiforov program, and it was extremely difficult. Yurio did not quite have as much control of his edges as Viktor and Yuuri, or even Georgi, so he tried to make up for it with speed. And the program was very fast paced all the way through. It was clear that Viktor had taken all of Yurio's ability into consideration when making the program.

Yurio has the audience from the moment his music starts, and after having established the first part of the choreography, he races down to the end of the rink, preparing for his quad loop attempt. He hadn't landed it at all in his Challenge Cup a month back, so he is determined to do it now. Yurio sets up for the jump and it looks good in the air, but he finishes the rotation on the ice and shakily moves onto his first spin. It looks like it will receive a call for under rotation, but Yuuri is too far away to see clearly, especially without his glasses, and both Viktor and Yakov look on too intensely to be of any help.

His quad salchow is much better though, and the triple loop he puts on at the end definitely looks rotated. Of course, Yurio executes this jump right where Yuuri is standing, so he can actually see it this time. Another spin and Yurio is in the second half, and lands a confident triple axel before moving into the step sequence. While Yurio is definitely still not the showman that someone like Chris or Phichit is, he is definitely making strides with this program. The visible act of pointing at people in the crowds and encouraging them to cheer for him with gestures and eye contact helps engage the audience, and by the end, everyone is either singing along or clapping to the beat as Yurio finishes his program with a fist raised into the air.

Yuuri, Viktor and Yurio's coaches all start clapping and cheering as well, and despite again not landing a clean quad loop, Yurio looks beyond satisfied. Viktor and Yuuri quickly move out of the way, as Yurio enters the Kiss & Cry where he waits for his score as the crowd chants his name. Yurio puts himself just in between Yuuri and Georgi, but there's less than half a point between Yurio and himself, so everything will come down to the free skate.

There is a press conference, which for Yuuri is surprisingly chill despite the fact that he is currently in the lead. It's probably because he's sitting with Yurio and Georgi who are more popular in Russia than he is. Although it seems like the Russians like him too.

After the press conference they go to draw the order for the free skate, but they also get handed their score sheets so they can examine more closely how they were judged. Yuuri's sheet is more or less exactly what he anticipated, although apparently he lost a level on his combination spin, and as he racks his brain to find out why, he comes up on a blank. He'll have to ask Viktor later so they can fix it.

He hears Yurio groan beside him and looks over as Yurio forces his sheet into Yuuri's hands.

"Level 2 step sequence? Are you kidding me?" Yuuri examines the piece of paper, and Yurio did indeed only get a level 2 on his steps. Maybe if Yuuri had been wearing glasses during Yurio's program he could tell him why, but as it stands, he was not. Now he just wished the score sheets came with explanations for all the calls.

"But look, 9.63 on performance," Yuuri points out, "That's the highest you've gotten!"

"I guess..." Yurio says as he examines the presentation score more closely, "But I'm still in the eights for skating skills and transitions."

"You'll get there," Yuuri encourages, "You have a good foundation, and pcs always improve as you get more used to your program."

"You should focus more on yourself," Yurio says, almost like he's trying to hold back a smile, "I'm your rival, right?"

"Exactly," Yuuri says, "And that's why I want you to go to the Finals with me so I can finally beat you there."

"You wish, Katsudon! I'll definitely defend my title!"

Back at the hotel room, Viktor studies the score sheet as well, while Yuuri combs his hair. It's a little below his shoulders now, but he tends to keep it in a tight bun or some sort of halo braid. The public hasn't caught on to how long it is yet, because Viktor wants it to be a surprise for when he debuts his short program in two weeks. The long hair is an essential part of it after all.

"Maybe you didn't get all the rotations on one of the features?" Viktor questions, because apparently the call on his spin puzzles him as well, "We'll have to watch it back when someone uploads a video."

"Yeah, hopefully it was just a small mistake and it won't happen tomorrow. I want to win."

"A level 3 spin is hardly going to take that away from you if everything else is clean," Viktor shrugs and Yuuri pokes the top of his head to keep him still as he continues working with his hair.

"A level 3 spin would have cost Yurio the Finals last year," Yuuri counters and Viktor laughs a little.

"That's right. I stand corrected. It could make a big difference."

In the end, all of Yuuri's spins the next day are level 4, as they should be, and though he falls on his opening quad and pops a triple into a single, he still beats Yurio by almost ten points. Yurio doesn't skate badly, it's just far from perfect, but it's enough for silver. He still hasn't landed the quad loop in competition, so he supposes that when they get back to Saint Petersburg, that's all Yurio will focus on. Georgi keeps Mickey at bay to take bronze, and in the ladies event Mila captures the gold. So including Yuuri's gold, that's four medals for team Yakov.

The next event is Skate Canada, where Yakov has none of his skaters. But in two weeks, Viktor debuts his programs. His last competitive programs. Yuuri doesn't think the world is ready for what Viktor has in store for them.

* * *

 **Yuuri's short program is inspired by Yuzuru Hanyu's famous Chopin program (Olympic channel has finally uploaded the olympic version so check it out)**

 **Yurio's short program is inspired by his own Welcome to the Madness, as well as Yuzuru Hanyu's Let's Go Crazy**

 **Georgi's short program is inspired by Alexei Yagudin's Winter**

 **Michele's short program is inspired by Jun-Hwan Cha's Gypsy Dance (even though Wakaba Higuchi has my favorite Gypsy Dance program)**


	8. Skate Canada

**Fact of the chapter: I have done a very brief explanation of the lutz and flip jumps, so today I will do a VERY short introduction to the toe loop and the salchow. These are considered the easiest of the six jumps, which is why skaters will often attempt quads using these jumps (they are of course also the lower scoring jumps). The toe loop, as the name suggests, is a toe jump, which means that like the lutz and flip, the skater uses the assist of their toe pick to execute the jump. This is done by tapping the ice with their toepick. The salchow is an edge jump, meaning that the skater doesn't have the same assistance. The jump is executed from a position that roughly looks like this / \ (that's feet btw), and utilizes the edge of the skates as well as speed and momentum to rotate the jump. This was not a good explanation, but the main point was 1) considered easier jumps and 2) toe jumps and edge jumps are different (usually skaters have a preference).**

* * *

"Explain to me again why you're all here," Viktor says. There had been someone at the door, and though he was confused and sleepy, Viktor had dragged his over to find out who it was, and it had turned out to be all of his fellow skaters from Team Yakov.

"Because I invited them," Yuuri says from the kitchen, "Do you want to order food, or should we cook? We have quite a few people over."

'Quite a few people' is an understatement. Their apartment isn't small, but it's the space two people, a dog and occasionally an angry teen with a cat need. But there are ten people in the apartment now. And a dog. And two cats. Viktor does not know who owns the second cat - definitely not Yurio because he would know - but it gets along with Makkachin, so it's not actually an issue. No, the issue is that Viktor has just woken up from his nap, and now the they don't have enough chairs. Or food. And are these people sleeping over, because Viktor might be rich, but he is not in the mood for spending money on five beds that can't even fit in the apartment.

"Let's just order dinner," Viktor says defeated, and someone yells for pizza. Viktor does not even consider that suggestion. They're athletes. In the middle of a competitive season. And Viktor is a coach. A good, responsible coach. He gets a lot of boos when he places the non-pizza order.

Of course, they're all here to watch the second competition of the grand prix series: Skate Canada. Viktor doesn't know why they couldn't all just watch at the Sports Club, since it has a tv, a nice lounge and food, but apparently their apartment fit for three people and two pets was a better spot. Whatever. Viktor can still be a good host. Probably. When he wakes up a little more.

In the end, they find a place for everyone to sit and still be able to watch tv. They move the couch back, and move the coffee table to the side, so people can sit on the floor. They have a lot of cushions for people to sit comfortably on, and Viktor finds a never used (and very ugly) tablecloth to serve as a temporary place for the food and drinks.

Because Canada is pretty far away, the competition doesn't start until late into the night, and because they are all skating nerds and Viktor obviously has recordings of every single skating event from the last decade saved, they end up watching pieces of the last Olympics as a warm up to the competition.

"There are like five people left from this era," Mila says at some point, and Viktor does a mental count just to confirm that she is very wrong.

"Like in the men's event or in general?" Georgi asks, clearly also having counted.

"Men's," Mila replies, "Maybe six."

"I was there, Chris was there. Yuuri, Georgi and Michele. That's five, and there are definitely more," Viktor says. The rest might not be quite as competitive, but they definitely still skate.

"Okay," Mila says almost sarcastically, "There are five left who matter."

"Rude," Viktor says under his breath. He's in the kitchen, making snacks (healthy snacks!) for when the actual competition starts, so they can't really hear it.

"I mean, this guy," Mila points to the skater currently on the tv, who is skating his free program, "He won bronze, and at last year's Worlds, he didn't even make it into the free skate. He's only going to the Olympics this year, because JJ got Canada two spots. And that's assuming he is chosen for the Olympics."

"That's a little harsh," Yuuri intervenes, "He had a bad year. With the injury and all that. If he makes it at Canadian nationals, he could help Canada win a medal in the team event."

"It'd be better for them to just have JJ skate both the short and the free," Mila says and Viktor sighs.

"JJ has a good chance on the Olympic podium," Georgi says, "They'd want to save him for that rather than tire him out in the team event."

"You know," Yurio says with his mouth full of something that's probably not healthy, "You girls are so mean to other skaters."

There's a second of silence... "I don't want you to point that out," Mila says, clearly offended, "But I guess I'm just used to hearing a lot of smacktalk, so I just do it on reflex. Must be nice for you guys, since you're all friends."

"Did you hear that Yurio," Viktor teases, "You and JJ are friends!"

Unexpectedly, Yurio laughs, although, a little forced: "Then so are you and Yuuri! Just friends! Nothing more."

"You take that back," Viktor snaps, and leaves the kitchen to unleash a merciless tickle attack on Yurio, while Yuuri (and the other less important people) laugh at them.

Eventually, Viktor goes back to the kitchen, but it seems Yurio has learned his lesson. The tv is still playing the Olympics.

"You know," Yuuri says at some point, "It's been awhile since I've seen this, but you look a little tense here."

"I don't see it," Georgi says, and Viktor glances over to see that they've reached his program. He hasn't started skating yet. They've only just called his name.

"No, he's definitely tense. Nerves maybe?"

"I thought it was a myth that Viktor got nervous?" Mila questions, and Viktor would facepalm if he did not have food on his hands.

"I am not actually superhuman," Viktor says, "Yuuri is right. I was super nervous. I don't think I've ever felt worse in a competition."

"You spend too much time with Viktor, Katsudon. He looks normal to the rest of us."

"Don't change the subject," Georgi intervenes, "I want to know why Viktor was so nervous here. I mean. You hadn't lost anything for over two years at this point. Your personal best was almost twenty points over any of your rivals, and you were skating on home ice, where you've always done really well."

"Ugh," Viktor says and leans his head back. He had not expected to have this conversation today, "It was because of all those things, I guess?" Viktor starts, "Like there was so much pressure, and I was the clear favorite. You should be able to hear it in the video too. The audience was chanting my name like crazy and I almost went mad. It felt like the past few seasons of me just winning had been leading up to the biggest loss in my career."

"But you skated clean," One of the young seniors, Dmitri, says. He's sitting besides Yuuri, which is cute because the two of them have be getting along well lately. It's especially cute because Yurio sometimes seems jealous over no longer being Yuuri's favorite junior.

"I did," Viktor says, as he remembers back to the event, "I landed my first jump, and I decided to just ignore everything. You know when people tell you to just imagine that the audience is naked or something? I just imagined they weren't there. Made everything a lot easier."

There is a silence and Viktor just sighs again, "See, the story isn't actually interesting because I won. If I had ended up second, third, or not even on the podium, then the story would have been good."

"That's one way to look at it..." Someone, not Yuuri, says.

They continue watching the event, while Viktor stays in the kitchen. At some point Yuuri comes in to hug him.

"It's very nice knowing you get nervous," Yuuri says, and Viktor hangs his head.

"Even you, my love? I'm just a person."

"I know, but you don't show it, so it's nice to know."

"You noticed it, so I do show it," Viktor counters.

"Because I know you. I clearly did not notice the first fifty times I watched that program."

"We both know you haven't watched it fifty times."

"Yeah, too low, probably closer to a hundred."

Viktor chuckles, and moves to wash his hands. Yuuri does not let go of him, so he kind of just drags him along as Yuuri squeezes him ever so tightly.

"But it makes me wonder," Yuuri says, as Viktor repositions them so that he can return the hug, "Why did you get so freaked out when I panicked in China."

"I did not _freak out,_ " Viktor pouts.

"You did," Yuuri says sweetly.

"I just didn't know what to do because you were crying."

"You were freaking out before that, gorgeous. Saying you were going to stop coaching me was a pretty desperate attempt to help me. And a weird one too."

"Okay, maybe I freaked out a little, but I just didn't get why you were nervous over a grand prix qualifier. Especially with the lead you had. Even if you skated the way you did in the Sochi Finals, you would have been on the podium... I just didn't get it then. All the things happening in your head."

"It's a good thing you learn fast."

"Do I smell chocolate?!" Yurio suddenly yells from the couch.

Viktor looks over and finds that several heads has turned to him (and Yuuri who is still hugging him).

"Yeah, I'm making brownies."

"You're letting us eat brownies, but not pizza?" Mila gasps, not believing her own ears.

"If I had made the pizza then I would have let you eat that, but you can't find a single healthy pizza in Saint Petersburg. Believe me. I have tried, and my diet is not even as strict as yours."

"Which makes no sense, I might add," Yurio says. He has always been jealous over how Viktor sometimes just whips out a candybar after practice. Living with Lilia, he has a very strict diet and the one time she found him with a bag of chips, she came to have Viktor and Yuuri catsit Potya while Yurio was grounded. Viktor thinks Yurio might have cried. He still has no proof though.

"But if you're letting us eat it, that means it's healthy, and healthy cakes cannot possibly taste good. Thanks for ruining my good mood," Mila sticks her tongue out and turns her back. Viktor then feels Yuuri smile.

"Honestly, if you guys don't eat it, I will gladly take it all for myself. It's delicious."

"Okay, Katsudon, since when are you allowed cake?"

"When I make it," Viktor says.

"I will taste it just to prove that Katsudon only likes your disgusting healthy cake because he loves you. They say love makes you blind, but since Katsudon can't see anyways, maybe it just took away his ability to taste."

"You hurt my feelings, Yurio," Yuuri smiles. He's still hugging Viktor, and if he could just keep doing that all night, Viktor thinks it would be wonderful, even if he won't get any sleep.

* * *

Around midnight, most of their guests seem to have dozed off for a nap (which makes sense, they all had training that day), so it's only Georgi, one of the female skaters, Maria, as well as Yuuri and Viktor who are awake. Even Makkachin and the cats are curled up next to Yurio, sleeping away. Yuuri did, at some point, let go of Viktor to find some blankets for everyone who fell asleep. They are toying with the idea of not waking them up, but then Viktor would have baked for nothing and he's not up for that.

Because Maria is twenty two years old, and everyone younger than her has fallen asleep, Viktor does not feel bad for offering everyone a glass of wine.

Viktor doesn't know if it's because she has super senses or if it's pure coincidence, but as soon as he starts pouring Georgi a glass, Mila bolts up, hair sticking out in every direction, and frantically blinking sleep out of her eyes, and looks at the wine, "Can I have some?"

"Half a glass," Viktor says sternly.

"I am an adult, you know," and yes, Viktor sometimes forgets that, because he has known her since she was fourteen and definitely not allowed to drink.

"Half a glass. When you turn twenty, maybe I'll consider giving you more. Do you even like red wine?"

"Maybe?" Mila crooks her head to the side, and Viktor gives her his own glass.

"Try this first then."

Mila takes a sip, makes a grimace as if she doesn't like it, takes another sip and hands back the glass.

"It's good."

Viktor raises an eyebrow, but gives her the wine anyway. Better have her drink with them, than somewhere in Saint Petersburg where no one can find her.

* * *

They eventually wake everyone up for the beginning of the women's short program, and upon seeing Mila's glass, Yurio also asks for wine. He gets a collective no from Viktor, Yuuri and Georgi.

Despite the depth of the women's field, they all have a clear favorite. Sara Crispino. And she is on fire. Clearly no one gave her the memo on holding back early in the season, because she hits all of her elements flawlessly.

She is skating to a beautiful piece of Chopin music. The piece is very quiet, almost daring the audience to not interrupt it. She has all her three jumping passes in the second half, opening up with a triple lutz-triple toe combination. Not as impressive as her lutz-loop, but because her triple flip has a bad history of edge calls, she doesn't use it her short program, which means that her solo triple is the loop. And oh lord, if Viktor didn't wish he had a loop as good as hers. Last in the program is her double axel. The jump which both receives the least amount of points, and yet is the jump you will see her struggle with the most. A complete opposite of Mila who has gotten a very good triple axel over the summer.

But Sara makes no mistakes on the axel tonight, and ends the program with her last breath leaving her body as the music stops and the audience rise from their seats to applaud her. Viktor almost feels intimidated by her consistency and they're not even in the same competition. Her short program score falls just short of the world record (which she owns), but it still goes over eighty points. If she keeps improving, Viktor is scared of what she will do next, but Mila, who actually have to go up against in her Pyeongchang, seems very excited. And Viktor understands why. It means that she needs her triple axel. It means that she needs to make sure she improves in every competition. Mila's personal best is just shy of seventy-five points. She will have to give it all she's got to even just put pressure on Sara.

It goes without saying that Sara wins the short program, and unless something drastic should happen, she will probably take the whole event with ease.

They move into the ice dance competition - and thank god, Anya is not competing here, because while Georgi claims to be over her, Viktor is still scared of name dropping any past girlfriends he has had. It tends to start a flood that's impossible to stop.

Seeing as the men's competition will be the highlight event of the evening, as they have seven guys here, who potentially have to compete against them at some point, Viktor thinks he should bring out the cake now.

Yurio, keeping to his promise, is the first to try it, while Yuuri looks on knowingly. When Yurio takes the first bite, he looks confused and immediately goes in for a second bite, and a third, until he's finished it, and then looks ar Viktor accusingly.

"Healthy my ass, this is just a normal brownie. I can taste the chocolate!"

"I never said it didn't have chocolate in it," Viktor counters.

"Wait, so it's good? Lemme try," Mila says and climbs over the three people separating her and the cake, "Oh my god, it is good," she says as she munches away.

It doesn't take long for everyone to have taken a piece.

"There is _no way_ this is healthy!" Mila exclaims as she goes for her second piece, "It's so buttery and sweet. And the chocolate, mmm~"

"There is no butter in it," Viktor shrugs. It's not like it's a secret recipe, but he usually refrains from telling people what's in it until after they've tasted it.

"What did you use instead then? Cause I will make this myself," Maria says. She is the known sweet-tooth on Team Yakov, and Viktor really should have given her this recipe years ago.

"Avocado."

"Lies!" Yurio says. He has brownie on his face.

Viktor shakes his head and goes to find the recipe. He knows it by heart at this point, so he can give it to Maria.

"Avocado, coconut sugar, almonds… I see, so you just replace all the unhealthy stuff with healthy stuff."

"Basically. You can do that with a lot of sweet things, although this is definitely the best tasting one I have created," Living alone, and always having to eat well has made Viktor into an adventurous chef. It helps that he loves food of all kinds, and isn't afraid to set his kitchen on fire every once in a while. Viktor is not a good cook by nature, but he has lived through enough burnt pots to know what he's doing. Most of the time.

"Damn, Yuuri, you're so lucky!" Mila looks to Yuuri, who just smiles at her.

"I know."

* * *

Finally the men's short program starts. Ironically, the skater Mila badtalked earlier is there, and he does kind of well. He has kept the short program from the previous season, possibly because he never got to skate it clean with then injury he had, and his mistakes are minimal. Mila takes back what she said about him.

The first group goes by with a lot of Canadian skaters performing for their home crowd, and then comes the second group.

The obvious crowd favorite is JJ, and he might just be the favorite altogether. However, the competition is tight. If the Rostelecom Cup had been The Battle of the Yuris, then this was a pure Quad Battle. JJ was already well-known for quad lutz, but unlike last season where his unstable quad loop had been an emergency strategy, this season it was stable and a planned element. Then we had Seung-gil. First person to ever land the quad loop in competition, and the person Viktor had used to study that jump when he tried to replicate it. There was Emil. Known for having come into his first senior season with two quads in the short program, and four in the free skate. A feat which at that point had only been achieved by Viktor himself. The outsider of the group is Otabek, who only does the toe and salchow, but is experimenting with a four quad layout as well in the free skate.

Viktor thinks the competition might depend entirely on the results of short program, since these are all skaters who cannot afford to make a mistake since their pcs can't save them, should they miss any of the elements.

"Let's make predictions," Mila says during the six minute warm up, "Otabek wins the short program!"

"I agree. Otabek wins the short program," Yurio says, but that's not really a surprise. Otabek came to visit in the summer, and trained with them for two weeks. Safe to say, he and Yurio got quite close.

"I'll vote for JJ," Yuuri says, "He's skating at home, and he is the strongest in components."

A couple more people vote for JJ, which really is the safe bet here.

"I'll go with Emil," is Georgi's surprising opinion, "I think he's very consistent, especially in the beginning of the season, so even if he has low pcs, he'll probably be most likely to land all his jumps."

"I'll second that," says Maria, "What about you Viktor? You're almost always right when you make predictions."

"Almost," Viktor smiles, "But I'll go with Seung-gil. He's also very consistent and last season he worked hard on his components. Furthermore, I think he's been preparing the most for this season out of everyone. It's no coincidence that he did so well at Four Continents."

"Good point, but I still think JJ has a home crowd advantage," Yuuri says, and leans into Viktor.

"Gross," Yuuri says, "Aren't you two supposed to always agree?"

"We're not the same person."

"Guys, Emil is starting."

And so he is.

"He's skating to Scheherazade? How many warhorses have we had by now?" Maria says just as the program starts. But she's right. Someone should keep tabs. It could be a drinking game for when they watch the next competition.

Georgi was right, when he had said that Emil is consistent, because he lands his first element, the quad loop, perfectly. It's so good, in fact, that Viktor makes a mental note to look at again, and again, and again, just to figure out the secret behind it. Not that he can't do it himself at this point, no, he's done it plenty of times, but it's just not… consistent.

He then sets up for the combination: A quad sal-triple toe. He lands that as well. He goes into a spin, and Viktor really wishes he would work on those, because they aren't great. But the program goes on and Emil has clearly tried to work on his artistic abilities. He's showing different expressions, and trying his best to connect with the audience. Of course, his skating skills and transitions are still lacking, and there is another long set up before the triple axel, but he nails it. The step sequence is richer than last season, and it is, overall, a great improvement from everything he has previously done. He goes just below his personal best, and he seems pretty satisfied.

An American comes next and joins the quad battle. His first jump is new and catches Viktor and everyone else off-guard.

"He's going for it, and- Oh! So close!" Mila narrates, "What a shame."

The American had tried for the quad flip, but couldn't control the landing and fell.

"He got the revolutions though," Viktor says, "I used to do that a lot when I first practiced it."

But apart from the unsuccessful quad flip, the American doesn't hold any more surprises. But it was fun while it lasted.

"Otabek, davai!" Yurio and Mila chant in unison even though Otabek can't hear them.

"If we took a shot for every warhorse, we'd be dead by now," Maria comments. Of course, they all knew Otabek's program because he worked on it while he was training with them. He's skating to Turandot, one of Viktor's favorite warhorses. Although that may or may not be because he once did an exhibition to that piece.

Otabek starts the program with a quad salchow, and he nails it. He then plays around with the program, practicing those fine lines and graceful movements he learned in Saint Petersburg. However, it doesn't take away from what is actually Otabek's strength and style, which is the powerful, unorthodox skating which utilizes his incredible speed across the ice. It only serves to highlight it. He goes into his combination, but doubles the triple toe on the second part. He doesn't let it faze him as goes into his spins.

The step sequence is the part where Otabek has improved the most, and he showcases his quick turns to perfection. He then goes for the triple axel and has no problem with it. With one last spin he ends the program, and despite the lower technical score, Viktor thinks he will take the lead over Emil. And he does. It's only by a few points, not quite enough to break the 100 point barrier, but for his first competition, it's a great start.

Next is Frenchman who does not have a good time, and then Seung-gil.

"Does James Bond count as a warhorse?" Maria asks, and she gets various responses. Mila is firmly against the idea of it being a warhorse, because she too is skating to Bond music this season and she liked being original.

The pieces are different though, and Seung-gil's interpretation is better than ever. Viktor suddenly understands why he tried to challenge a mambo last season, because the slightly flirtatious movements shine through in his program.

He reminds Viktor, once again, why he's the king of the quad loop, and the jump fits perfectly into the choreography. He races down the other end of the rink for his combination, which he also lands cleanly. He has choreography going into his first spin and then the playful personality breaks out. He moves into a beautiful spiral position, something not often seen in men's programs, and holds it until he sets up for the triple axel which marks another successful jump. Another spin and then the steps skated to the most classical of all Bond music. He goes into the final spin, and ends the program with his hands clasped in finger guns while the audience applaud the program.

"I hate it when Viktor is right," Yurio says in defeat.

"Hey, there is still JJ left," Yuuri points out and Yurio just groans.

"That means that my options are cheering for JJ or having Viktor be right. Neither of those options are good."

"Does anyone know what JJ is skating to in the short?" Georgi asks, and he just gets a collective shaking of heads.

But Seung-gil gets his score, which is well over a hundred points, much to Viktor's pleasure. JJ will have to be foot perfect to beat that, and while he definitely could do it, Viktor is still rooting for Seung-gil to come out on top.

"Oh no..." Yurio whispers dreadfully as the screen displays JJ's music. Viktor and Yuuri look at each other and know exactly what to do. Loudly sing along to what in these five minutes is the best song ever.

"Now~ I rule the world! And the starry sky! Spreading above!"

"Someone please stop them!" Yurio screams from under the pillow he's taking cover under. Last time Yurio lived with them for a couple of weeks, they made this song his alarm in the morning.

"I can rule the world! JJ, just follow me! I can break the walls! Now look at me!" Everyone but Yurio has now joined in and Viktor thinks they might get a complaint from their neighbours, but it's too much fun. They end up not following JJ's program as much as they should have, but since they already know it by heart, it's not really a loss.

"Why?" Yurio groans as the program ends and Mila has more or less died of laughter.

"It's iconic," Yuuri says, "Definitely one of the greats of this era."

Yurio groans again, but when JJ gets his score, he falls just a little behind Seung-gil.

"I win!" Viktor cheers and then there is a groan not just from Yurio, but also from literally everyone else. Even Yuuri.

* * *

Most of them do not make through the pairs short program. Viktor being one of them, because he only remembers the event starting, but then he woke up in their bed, so he must have fallen asleep. Yuuri probably carried him into the bedroom, which Viktor wishes he had been awake for. He is so weak to Yuuri carrying him around.

Apparently only Maria and Yuuri had survived all night, while Georgi had left, taking two of the very tired teenagers home, since he lived close to them. Yuuri had somehow made room for Yurio and two more in what was now Yurio's room, while Mila and her friend took the coach. Maria and Yuuri apparently did not need sleep, so when Viktor stumbles out of the bedroom, the two of them are chatting over a cup of tea in the kitchen.

"How are you not tired?" Viktor asks, and wonders why the hell he hadn't stayed in bed.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll just sleep a lot tonight," Yuuri smiles and gives Viktor a kiss, "But I'm surprised to see you up. You could go back to sleep, you know."

Viktor shrugs, "You know I can't sleep past seven."

"But you can take naps, so I assume you'll just take a five hour nap later."

"Or we could just go to bed earlier," Viktor suggests.

"Sure," Yuuri says, definitely not intending to do that, "Coffee?"

* * *

When practice comes along that day, it's safe to say that Yakov is less than pleased by everyone's less than ideal condition. He probably intended to punish them all, but when Yurio falls asleep on a bench, it's clear that they would probably all just faint if they proceeded. Instead they get banned from following the free skate live. Viktor doesn't particularly mind.

* * *

The next morning feels more normal. When Viktor wakes up, Makkachin is on the bed, and Yuuri is still asleep beside him. He reaches for his phone to check the results of the competition, and finds that JJ had made a comeback in the free and won the competition. Seung-gil had ended up in second, with Emil finishing up the podium. Otabek is in a surprisingly fourth place, and Viktor pulls up their programs to see what happened.

* * *

 **Someone should remind me regularly to upload, honestly I am so bad**


	9. Cup of China

**Fact of the Chapter: Today we shall talk about my second favorite jump, the loop. The loop is an edge jump, which is characterized by the way the skater crosses their legs before take-off. Of the quad variety in irl skating, the jump has been landed by three skaters: Yuzuru Hanyu, Shoma Uno and Nathan Chen. In the YoI verse it has been landed by Seung-gil, JJ and Emil, while Viktor has done it in exhibition. In my personal opinion, if you want to see some good loops, Yuzuru has the best quad (also evident by the fact that both Shoma and Nathan have both seemingly abandoned the jump), while Evgenia Medvedeva and Kaori Sakamoto have some killer triple loops over in the women's field.**

* * *

"Take care of yourself," Yuuri says as he adjusts Viktor's red scarf, "Make sure to eat everyday."

"You think I will forget?"

"Definitely. I will call every night to make sure you've eaten."

"And not because you love me?" Viktor pouts.

"That's why I'm making sure you're taking proper care of yourself, gorgeous," Yuuri puts his hands on Viktor's chest and Viktor puts his hands around Yuuri's waist to keep him close.

"I'll miss you," Viktor whispers, and Yuuri looks up into his eyes. Viktor does look quite sad even though they won't be apart for that long. At least, that's what Yuuri is telling himself. That it's not that long. Reality is, it's almost two weeks.

"I'll miss you too, so you better come back with two medals to make it worth it," Yuuri half-threatens and a little smile makes its way to Viktor's face. Gosh, who made him so beautiful?

"Don't worry. I will. Does my skating ever disappoint you?"

"Never."

Yuuri leans up for a kiss and wraps his arms around Viktor's neck. Viktor tightens his grip around Yuuri, and they kiss, and kiss, and kiss until their lips are red and they're gasping for air. They don't want to be apart. It's been almost a year since they've been apart for this long and they both remember how much they ached for each other. And now. With their anniversary approaching, they've become so used to the other's presence, so used to always having the other there to hold them, comfort them and come home to, that it's hard to even imagine a reality where it is any different.

"I'll take you out when I come back," Viktor whispers, and Yuuri can't even answer because he feels like if he does, Viktor will be leaving.

"If anything happens," Yuuri whispers back, "Call me. It doesn't matter what it is, I'm still here."

"I promise."

And with a final kiss, Viktor departs for his first competition and leaves Yuuri to train with Yakov in Saint Petersburg.

* * *

Around noon the next day, Yuuri gets the first text

 _I miss you_ _Ｔ▽Ｔ_ _It's hasn't even been a day…_ _I still miss you!_ _Call me when you get to the hotel_

Yuuri is just finishing up practice in the rink, and if his math is right, Viktor would just have landed in the airport. So between reporters, travel the hotel and possibly a fan meeting, Viktor would probably be settled in his hotel in three hours. Yuuri thinks he can squeeze in a quick work out with Lilia before heading home.

* * *

Yuuri puts the phone on speaker as he sits on the bed with Makkachin, Viktor having just called him. Makkachin greets with a bark.

"Makka~" Viktor coos, "Do you miss me too?"

Makkachin makes a sound that's halfway between a whine and a bark, and Viktor takes that as a yes and starts baby talking to his beloved poodle.

"Should I leave you two alone or…?" Yuuri teases.

"No, Yuuri~"

"Just kidding. Did you get to the hotel alright?"

"I guess," Viktor says, "Lots of people, but I expected as much… I'll probably stay at the hotel, before they tire me out too much."

"Don't just stay in your room all week like you did at Europeans," Yuuri scolds, "Both Chris and Phichit will be there, so I expect pictures of you eating good food."

"So you will only believe I went out if there are pictures? Where is your faith?"

"My faith is in Phichit's social media activity."

"Touché, my love."

They talk for almost an hour. It's as if they've been apart for a month, and not a day, but eventually Viktor has to call it a night if he wants to be ready for his morning practice.

Yuuri can't believe how much he misses Viktor. If it was just for a couple of days, it probably wouldn't be as bad. Over the summer, they've often had to spend a couple of days apart. Sometimes Viktor would have a photoshoot, or a tv appearance that took place in another part of Russia - and Russia is very big. And other times, Yuuri would have to take a day trip to Japan. And three days apart was fine. It was manageable, and sometimes it was good to have your own space. But two weeks? That's something else. And it's all because the grand prix series is a busy time in the season, and Viktor just so happened to have been assigned to the third and fourth event.

His first event is in China, just like Yuuri's was last season, but this time, Yuuri isn't there with him. And it, unsurprisingly, occurs at the same time as their anniversary, which makes Yuuri wish that they hadn't danced around their feelings and wants and needs during their summer together in Hasetsu. As much as Yuuri tries to convince himself that 'it's just a date' and that they can go out to eat, or watch ballet or whatever else they want, at any other day in the year, there is just something special about an anniversary. Especially since Viktor is in China where it all began. Especially because Yuuri knows how much this day means to Viktor. Because he knows that his fiancé is a huge romantic, and while they have other dates important to them; the day Viktor came to Hasetsu. The day they talked at the beach. The day Yuuri proposed. There is something special about the moment where the last piece of the puzzle fell into place. The moment where they could finally say 'I love you' without being afraid to take that first step into something new and unknown. The moment Yuuri had accepted Viktor for all he was. The moment Viktor had kissed him for the first time, and declared his love for all the world to see.

That day, that moment meant so much to both of them and they couldn't even be together to celebrate it.

There had been a conversation. About Yuuri coming with him to China. He didn't have to accompany him to his second assignment. He just had to be there for their anniversary. But in the end they had agreed that Yuuri should stay home. This season was important and Yuuri couldn't afford to just sit around while Viktor was busy competing. They had already agreed that they wouldn't let their relationship get in the way of their dreams and goals. Instead, they would support each other. And if that means daily phone calls, and skype sessions, and Yuuri constantly reminding Viktor to eat and socialize, then that would be what they would do. Because that's how they show their love.

* * *

"All your fans are talking about your hair," Yuuri says the night before the short program. They're skyping. Viktor is lying alone in his hotelbed, which is cold and lonely according to him, while Yuuri makes do with a warm, cuddly dog.

"It's not like it grew long overnight, though," Viktor shrugs, despite the fact that he did his damn best to hide that he was growing it out, and when it got too long too hide, he always wore it up so no one could get a proper look at it.

"The popular theory is that you are bringing back your _Swan Lake_ program," Yuuri continues. In Viktor's absence, he has spend countless hours scrolling through fan blogs and forums, all discussing his favorite skater.

"It's not far off," Viktor smiles, but doesn't elaborate.

The thing is, Yuuri doesn't know anything about Viktor's programs. Okay, that's not actually true. But he doesn't know everything. He knows that Viktor has specifically grown his hair out, because of the story in his short program. He knows what jumps Viktor is planning on using in the short program, and he knows that he has been training the quad loop for the free skate. But he also knows that on the official program layout, Viktor only has the quad toe planned in the free skate, and Viktor won't answer any questions about why that is. Some speculate that he is lying. Others think that he has just lost his grip. Yuuri is smart is enough to know that neither is true, but he can't for the life of him figure out what Viktor is up to.

He also knows that Viktor's free skate is a piano piece. He knows this because Viktor has played parts of it for him. It had been his way of saying 'look Yuuri, I can play the piano, cool, right?'. It had been pretty cool. Especially when he had played 'Yuri on Ice' for him. That had been quite special and a nice way to celebrate the first anniversary Viktor had in his calendar (the day he came to Hasetsu).

The last thing he knows is that Viktor has made an ungodly amount of changes to his short program, because he had gone through several notebooks of ideas, while Yakov had been getting more and more impatient every week. Viktor hadn't been satisfied with the program until halfway through August, where Yuuri had had his two programs to practice for almost three months.

Yuuri looks at Viktor through squinted eyes, and Viktor laughs at him.

"I'm not telling you anything. What would I be without surprises?"

"A good person."

Viktor scoffs, and Yuuri laughs.

"You should sleep," Yuuri says, even though he doesn't want their conversation to end, "Get ready for tomorrow."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

Yuuri wakes up early on the day of the short program. He takes a shower, feeds Makkachin and makes himself a somewhat interesting and healthy breakfast. He jogs to the rink, Makkachin in tow and joins Yurio for two hours of ice time. On his way back he buys groceries, as well as a sandwich he convinces himself is healthy despite the extra cheese he requested (in Russian because he is improving!).

When he comes home, he turns on the tv and settles with a cup of tea and Makkachin on his lap. The competition is in the middle of the women's event, where Yuuri silently cheers for his countrymen. The competition is actually really good, but Yuuri finds it hard to invest in, because of how nervous he feels for Viktor. And he knows that he shouldn't. One of the reasons Viktor was so hard to beat (even before his five year dominance) was due to his consistency. It was rare for Viktor to fall. It was rare for Viktor to pop jumps, and even when it happened, his programs were always so much more difficult than that of his competitors, so usually he could afford to make mistakes. But now people were catching up, and last season, his consistency had taken a blow. Although, with over half a year off and an impulse decision to return to the sport, it wasn't all that surprising. The question is what will happen in this season.

It's no secret that longevity in figure skating is hard to come by, and the fact that Viktor was able to win a world championship at the age of twenty-seven was almost a miracle. Especially in the current landscape of figure skating. Quads take their toll on the body, and Viktor isn't exactly of a small stature, so the landings have quite the impact on him. On a good day, Yuuri thinks it's amazing that Viktor has been able to overcome odds the way he has, but on a bad day, Yuuri feels like it could go wrong at any moment. Viktor's body could give out. He could have a bad fall and injure himself so severely that there was no coming back from it.

And Yuuri knows it's unlikely to happen, because Viktor knows his body. Unlike Yuuri, he is good at putting a limit on himself. Yakov says that hasn't always been the case, but Viktor wants his last season to be perfect and, for that, he is taking care of his body. Yuuri feels like he shouldn't worry. He should trust in Viktor and his abilities like he always had, but now that Viktor's own dreams are just important as his own, Yuuri can't help but worry.

When the men's competition starts, Yuuri pulls out his snacks. They're all home-made by Viktor, specifically for when Yuuri is stress eating, because they're either very nutritious or doesn't have much substance at all. And they're all very delicious as well. These snacks were some of Viktor's successful creations that he had been inspired to make because of Yuuri's eating habits, and Yuuri thanks every god he knows for the miracle that is Viktor Nikiforov.

When the second group comes out to greet the audience and do their six minute warm-up, Yuuri remembers that he doesn't even know what Viktor's costume looks like, and tries to make out what he's wearing under his Team Russia jersey. He seems to be wearing some standard black pants, which is actually quite unusual as Viktor always has some bold, over-the-top costumes, but there is something blue, peeking out from the jersey. Viktor's hair is not so long that it is necessary for him to keep it tied up, although he has made sure to keep it out of his face with some blue hair clips, which look a bit like feathers made of gems. Yuuri even takes note of Viktor's long lashes and is happy that he is recording everything because he would very much like to keep some of these images for himself.

But Yuuri will have to wait a little while to see Viktor, since he is the very last person to skate. In the meantime he can cheer for Phichit. He had, of course, called Phichit earlier in the day to wish him good luck and Phichit had promised to make it to the Finals once again. Yuuri would hold him to that promise. Having already competed against him, Yuuri knows that Phichit is keeping his short program from last year. It's a chance for him to show off a program he has been wanting to skate forever at the biggest stage imaginable, so it was a no brainer that he would choose to keep it.

The layout of the program has changed though. He starts out with a triple axel, which he lands perfectly. One of the benefits of keeping a program is that you don't have to adjust to it in competition once again, so even if the jumps change, the program is the same, and the familiarity helps ground the skater.. He then moves onto his triple lutz, which is once again landed beautifully. Two spins later and Phichit is in the second half, where he has put his quad-triple combination, which he had only dared put in his free program last season. And having kept his program from last season really pays off, because Phichit lays down a flawless program.

And while he does not have the highest technical program of the night, Phichit has maximized the use of his quad, and with a flawless program comes a high program component score. Because students of Celestino have great skating and performance skills.

It's very common for famous coaches to have a style. Yakov's students are all gifted in jumps, their technique always pristine and lends itself to minimal errors. Students, like Viktor, who might struggle with a certain type jump, benefit a lot from studying under Yakov, because he is a master at correcting those mistakes, and finding ways of using each of his students strengths and apply them to their weakness.

Celestino's students are often known for their skating skills. Being a former ice dancer himself, where skating skill is all important, Celestino knows that nothing can come from a skater who doesn't have the basics. After having spent five years with him, Yuuri knows that the first year or two, every new student of his focus only on the basics. It doesn't matter how long you've been in the field, Celestino will always finds ways to improve his students. It's a teaching method that gains results over time, which sometimes causes Celestino to lose students who don't have the patience. But for those who stick around long enough, they will see their entire performance elevated.

Having studied under Celestino for a long time, and under Yakov part-time for about a year, Yuuri has gained the best of both worlds. Viktor, as a coach, takes a lot after Yakov, but through his discussions with Yuuri and how he used to train, Yuuri knows that Viktor is trying to adapt a teaching method that is somewhere in between Celestino's and Yakov's. But only time and more students will really tell what kind of coach Viktor will end up becoming.

Phichit falls just short of a personal best, which is probably due to switching the jumps around and therefore having somewhat weaker transitions, and less stamina to perform a demanding combination, but Yuuri is sure that in a few competitions, Phichit will get a new personal best. The score is still above one hundred though, and Phichit can take a comfortable lead as Guang-Hong readies himself for his short program.

For his short program, Guang-Hong has a quiet song. It allows for a type of skating which Yuuri can only describe as soft. There are no fast paced movements or any sudden motion, yet the program does not feel slow. Guang-Hong starts his program off with a quad toe, which he lands well. He allows the music to move him through the choreography, and though his spins are not slow, Yuuri feels like they are blending into something soft and delicate. In the second half, Guang-Hong has his triple axel, as well as his triple flip-triple toe combination, both of which are also landed cleanly, and it has the crowd roaring. It is always nice to see your country's best skater perform a flawless program. While the step sequence is not quite as refined as Phichit's, it is still very beautiful, and with a last spin he ends his program.

The roar of the crowd makes it clear where the event is taking place, and Guang-Hong takes to the Kiss & Cry with plushies and flowers still raining down on the rink. And while he still ends up six points behind Phichit, the program does earn him a personal best and he seems much more satisfied than he had last time he had competed at this event.

Chris is up next, and Yuuri feels like he needs a breather with all these amazing programs coming one after the other. Of course, after Guang-Hong's innocent performance, Chris comes and turns it all around with something mature and slightly erotic. Yuuri almost laughs a little when Chris starts skating to a Flamenco, but the performance is surprisingly tasteful and Chris manages to engage the audience rather spectacularly into his performance.

Chris also has an amazing ability, especially in the short program, to make his spins, rather than his jumps or step sequence, the highlights of his program, and though he makes a small mistake on the combination jump - which was almost expected of Chris since he's known for good pacing and being a slow starter - the program is still as good as the two before him. Yuuri is surprised to see that Chris' pcs is only slightly above Phichit's, but that is once again a testament to the advantage Phichit has by using an old program, whereas Chris is bringing something brand new that is still in its developing phases. But since Chris' base value is higher than Phichit's (due to his two quads and one of them being the quad lutz), he still takes the lead despite the mistake he had.

There are two more skaters in the group before it's Viktor's turn, and Yuuri takes the time to make another cup of tea to calm himself down. He also sends a text to Phichit, Guang-Hong and Chris, congratulating them on their great results, although he doesn't expect an answer for quite a while.

And then suddenly it's Viktor turn and Yuuri watches intensely as Viktor reveals his costume to him and the rest of the world. The costume is extremely reminiscent of his blue _Swan_ costume from when he took his first international title as a senior - it was at Europeans when he was eighteen and competing in his second senior season. The costume, this time around, seemingly has less going on. Whereas before the costume was asymmetrical, this time the sleeves are both black, however, there are some small gems sewn up and down his arms, making him shine and glitter under the spotlight. The blue feathers representing the swan are no longer highlighted by silver linings, and the costume seems to fit tighter on his body. It almost gives the illusion that Viktor's waist is slimmer, and with his longer hair it takes Yuuri back to when Viktor was in his late teenage years. And that is probably the exact image Viktor is going for. But despite the striking similarities between the two costumes and the ever so blurry gender lines that Viktor was so known for in his first years as a senior, Viktor doesn't really look like a swan. Which makes Yuuri question just what exactly Viktor is skating to.

Viktor's starting position is almost at the edge of the rink, unlike in the middle in front of the judges where most skaters start their program. Viktor stands with his head lowered and his hands covering his face. The music that starts is something Yuuri recognizes from the very first note, because it is the exact music Viktor had been skating to when Yuuri had seen him for the very first time: The Lilic Fairy. As the music starts, Viktor uncovers his face and smiles giddily to the audience and the cameras. The style of his skating is somewhat immature and theatrical in nature. It's a style Viktor used to have, but as he matured and learned to express himself in more subtle manners, it slowly faded away. The choreography is extremely elaborate and the gestures Viktor uses are all grand, and it almost looks like he is deliberately showing off his skills. Especially when he flies into a triple axel with ease and in perfect sync with the music and the choreography.

And then the music changes. And it changes into the piece that Yuuri initially thought Viktor would be skating to: The Swan. And with the change in music, the style changes too. The choreography is still very animated and theatrical, but the more time that passes, the more subtle the gestures become, and soon Viktor is showing the maturity that he used to dominate figure skating for half a decade. Viktor then goes into his combination jump, lands it perfectly, and then the style changes even more. His movements slow down and despite the beautiful music that plays, Viktor's skating starts to look full of sorrow. The spins are also beautifully choreographed, and in Viktor's sit spin, the variation he uses makes him look like a swan. But as he enters the second half, he hangs his head in grief and the music changes once again.

This time the music that plays is _Stammi Vicino._ It's an instrumental version of it, but it feels much different from the original program. Though the longing and grief is still there, it is as if Viktor is displaying even deeper levels of sorrow and loneliness. With almost no set-up or warning, Viktor jumps his signature quad flip, but upon landing it, he covers his face with his hand once again, and he glides, using the momentum of the landing, until he comes to a full stop, where he bows down in defeat. And the music stops for one second, and with a stunned audience, there is no sound for just a moment. The music then continues quietly and Viktor looks like he is forcing himself to continue the program as he enters his final spin with his face still somewhat covered either by a hand or by lowering his head.

His last element is the step sequence, which speeds up ever so slightly, like Viktor is searching for something he can't quite find, like he is trying to grasping something that is just out of reach. He searches endlessly, aimlessly, almost to the point of confusion and madness, until the program ends with Viktor turning his head, looking up hopefully as he offers his hand for someone to take, just as the first few notes of _Eros_ play to finish the story _._

And Yuuri cries. He wheezes and sobs to the point where Makkachin looks up at him sympathetically and starts licking away his tears. Yuuri doesn't even see what Viktor's own reaction is, nor does he hear the roar of the crowd, because he is so overwhelmed by his own feelings to even register anything else.

Yuuri vaguely registers that Viktor is sitting in the Kiss & Cry, and just assumes that he will go into the lead, because what could even hope to top that program? It was beautiful, brilliant, and absolutely perfect. Over the course of his career, Viktor has had many amazing programs. Programs which has been called signature performances, but this tops all of them. This is, by far, the best program Viktor has ever performed, and Yuuri knows it's because it came from his heart. Because this time, Viktor wasn't playing a character, but portraying his own emotions and telling his own story, and Yuuri is proud of for opening up, even if it is through the metaphor of skating.

When Yuuri finally calms down, the event has been over for a while, and he turns off the tv, even though all the events aren't finished yet. He doesn't think he can concentrate on anything right now. He checks his phone and sees that Guang-Hong has replied with a _thank you_ to his message. The other three are probably at their press conference and Yuuri hopes Viktor calls him as soon as he can, because Yuuri needs to tell Viktor how absolutely mesmerizing he was to watch.

Yuuri then goes through some social media and finds he was not the only one touched by the performance. Unsurprisingly, Viktor is trending on twitter and a few other sites, and all of the posts seems to say roughly the same thing: That Viktor has touched their heart and soul, and now they are sobbing for all eternity. Yuuri also finds a picture taken of one of the judges, who apparently had also started crying in the middle of the performance, which Yuuri can only imagine is a good thing. He also digs up Viktor's score sheet and is not at all surprised by the perfect score for his interpretation. Yuuri keeps scrolling through tweets from crying Viktor fans until his phone finally rings.

"Are you crying?" Viktor asks almost immediately after Yuuri picks up, and Yuuri sobs.

"No. Why would you think that?"

"Because you sound like you're crying. It better be because my skating was amazing. Phichit cried as well."

"Of course he did!" Yuuri says through his tears, "Anyone with a heart would cry after watching that."

"I assume you liked it then," Viktor says softly and Yuuri has the biggest urge to kiss his stupid face.

"Liked it? I loved it. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

"You should try looking in a mirror then. I assure you that you will find something even more beautiful then."

Yuuri laughs, "Stop flirting, and let me just talk for an hour about how beautiful you are."

"I don't think I have an hour, my love, I just really needed to hear your voice," Viktor says and Yuuri can hear his soft smile.

"I love you, Viktor."

"I love you too, Yuuri."

* * *

While Yuuri procrastinates from making dinner and waits for Viktor to call again, he watches Viktor's program a couple of more times. Only a couple because he starts crying every time and has to wait for the tears to stop before he can actually use his eyes to see. All the crying makes Makkachin very worried for him, so he stops himself for the sake of the poodle.

When Viktor eventually calls him back, Yuuri uses all of their time just to talk about Viktor and his beautiful program.

* * *

Yuuri goes through the exact same routine the next day as it becomes time for the men's free skate. And the free skate is full of surprises, and that is not just because Yuuri has no idea what Viktor has in store for them this time, but everyone seems to have something to show.

Guang-Hong starts the second group by becoming the third person to land a quad flip, and Yuuri thinks he should have given him more credit, because he had at least five people who he had thought more likely to land it. However, with a mistake on his solo quad toe, and a fall on his triple axel, Guang-Hong falls short of a personal best and while he goes in first, he needs everyone else to do their worst to stay in that position.

There is a skater in between Guang-Hong and Phichit who does not take the lead, so Guang-Hong stays safe for another turn.

Then Phichit comes along and for the first time in his senior career, he skates two clean programs back to back. And while the free skate itself is not a personal best, his total score of 306.10 most certainly is.

Another skater tries and fails to overtake either Phichit or Guang-Hong, and then it's Chris' turn.

The mistakes Chris makes are solely due what Yuuri would call "sloppy skating", while Chris would excuse it with "it's just the first competition, I'm just getting started". Where Viktor has a problem with keeping his damn skates on an outside edge on his triple lutz, Chris can't seem to stray away from that outside edge, and therefore makes a mistake on his triple flip. He also rushes through his step sequence and loses a level, and has a rather sloppy combination in the second half of his program. All of them are mistakes Chris would never make at Worlds or at the Olympics, but they're mistakes that he almost always makes in the grand prix series. And with the mistakes, not even his high component scores can save him and Phichit stays in the lead while Chris goes into second place.

Yuuri then uses the next skaters program to pray that Viktor has a clean skate, because with only the damn toe loop in his program, Viktor needs everything to be perfectly executed if he wants to stay in the lead.

When Viktor is up he, unsurprisingly, lands his quad (which to his credit is in combination, but Yuuri still can't fathom why there is only one), but he takes off on the wrong edge for his lutz once again - and Yuuri can just see Viktor and Chris bonding over wrong edges at the banquet because they have the weirdest damn friendship. Viktor also executes the dodgiest triple loop ever, and with his low base value, even the cushion from having been six points in the lead (and almost ten points ahead of Phichit), Viktor can't salvage the gold and ends up in third.

Yuuri did only demand that Viktor return with a medal, but maybe he should specify that the next one he take should be gold in colour. However, Yuuri is still extremely proud of Phichit for not just winning the event (again!), but also beating both Viktor and Chris, which is not an easy feat. There might be less than a point separating the three of them, but a victory is a victory, and Phichit certainly had the best free skate of the night.

* * *

"Watch the exhibition tomorrow, okay?" Viktor says that same night (night for him, late afternoon for Yuuri).

"Of course," Yuuri says, "Why wouldn't I?"

"Even if we can't be together, I'll make sure our anniversary is memorable."

* * *

Yuuri wakes up the next morning to someone knocking at the door. Which is weird because to knock on the door, one would have to get inside the building first, so Yuuri just assumes that it is one of their neighbours who needs eggs or some other basic ingredient that they can't be bothered to buy. So Yuuri puts on a robe - because it's cold in Russia - and goes to open the door, only to be met with a weird sight.

The person who had knocked on the door was Yurio (even though he has a key), and he is holding a big bouquet of roses, as well as a present and what he assumes is chocolate.

"They're from Viktor," he explains, even though Yuuri had figured as much.

"Do you want to come in?" Yuuri asks as he accepts the flowers and whatever else Yurio hands to him.

"Already raiding your fridge, Katsudon. Also, Yakov says you don't have to come to practice today."

"Okay..." Yuuri says slowly, and goes to find a vase that's big enough for all the roses.

When he has successfully made sure the roses won't die, he takes a look at the other things Yurio had brought with him. There is indeed chocolate, and Yuuri suspects that Viktor has made this himself, because the chocolate is shaped like a heart and the icing says _Viktuuri_ in what looks a lot like Viktor's handwriting. The present turns out to be a letter, or maybe it's more of a novel, which contains 365 things Viktor loves about Yuuri. It ranges from things like number 7 which says: _I love your thighs and I would like to die between them_ (which Yuuri finds both flattering and inappropriate, and he will never show this letter to anyone), but it also has things like number 164: _I love all your beautiful smiles, and the way your face lights up when you have fun, and how much you laugh when you're alone with me_ (which really should count as three things, but Yuuri knows that if he only had 365 things he could choose to say he loves about Viktor, he would merge some things together as well to make room for more).

"You're blushing," Yurio says, and Yuuri knows that that comment just made him blush even more, because this entire letter is embarrassingly adorable, and though he has only made it to reason number 150, he saves the rest of the letter for when Yurio isn't around.

Yurio finds a bag of chips (and makes Yuuri promise not to tell Lilia), as they settle in for the exhibition. The event is much less stressful to watch, and Yuuri watches it as he nibbles on the chocolate heart (after he had taken several pictures of it and send a few to Phichit). There is salted caramel in the chocolate, which is Yuuri's favorite flavour in everything sweet, and he starts thinking about what he should do for Viktor when he comes home… eventually.

When Viktor's readies himself for his performance, Yuuri catches Yurio give him a look, and knows in that moment, that Yurio knows what's coming.

For his exhibition, on their anniversary, at the rink where they had shared their first kiss, Viktor skates to Agape.

* * *

 **Guang-Hong's short program is inspired by Yan Han's _A Thousand Years_**

 **Chris' short program is inspired by Stephane Lambiel's _Poeta_**

 **Phichit's short program is the same as last season**

 **Viktor's short program is mainly inspired by Kaori Sakamoto's _Amelié_ , but also draws inspiration from Viktor's _Stammi Vicino_ , Yuzuru Hanyu's EX _The Swan (Notte Stellata)_ and Johnny Weir's _The Swan_.**


	10. NHK Trophy

**Fact of the Chapter: I have talked about the other five, so I will now talk about the axel. The axel jump, which is my fave of the jumps, is the only jump with a forward take-off, making it the easiest to recognize. Due to the forward take-off, the jump has an extra half rotation, meaning that a triple axel is really three and half rotations. In the YoI-verse, we know that Yuuri favors the axel, while Viktor is also quite efficient at it, being able to jump it from a back-counter (which is exceedingly difficult). In irl skating, you'll find that of the top skaters, Yuzuru Hanyu and Shoma Uno had some great triple axels - Yuzuru currently working on the quad version which has yet to be landed in competition. In YoI-verse, no one had landed, attempted or mentioned the quad axel.**

* * *

The flight from Beijing to Osaka is only four hours, but Viktor would really like to spend those four hours sleeping. His body is exhausted, his mind is numb and when he's asleep, the feeling of missing Yuuri isn't as strong. But Yakov has other plans. For the entire four hour flight, Yakov wants to go over Viktor's programs from the Cup of China, because, in Yakov's words: "We only have four days until your next competition, and your programs weren't as perfect as you think they were."

So they go over the programs, detail by detail, until Viktor starts getting sick of seeing himself skating. Yakov starts with the jumps.

"Your jumps in the short program were fine, not perfect, but fine. The only real issue was the combination jump. Your entry is a weak, and the second part of it didn't have as much flow as you usually get, so you lost about half a point there. It's likely that it also had an effect on your component score, since you scored lowest in transition and composition."

Viktor wants to interject and say that it's just the beginning of the season, and how much can Yakov really complain about Viktor being a little over a point away from maxing out his pcs? Sure, he's gotten a perfect score in the short program before, but that wasn't his first competition of the season. Really, Yakov's nagging is unreasonable.

"Now the jumps in your free skate were much more of an issue. With such an easy program, you should have been flawless and you were far from," Yakov keeps going and Viktor has to fight against rolling his eyes, "Once again, wrong take-off on the lutz. Vitya, this is the third competition in a row. You haven't had problems with that jumps in years, and now you're having trouble on a triple? If you do it again, I'll change up your training.

You also had an issue with your triple loop, although I can understand that it's because you've been focusing on the quad, but I don't understand why you don't use now that you have it. If this is how your triple loop looks, then it has the same success rate as the quad."

Viktor remains silent. He understands all of Yakov's points, but he's not entirely sure that Yakov would understand why he's holding back on using the quad loop.

"There was also an issue on the Salchow, but now that you've decided to make that a quad, then we can discuss that after NHK," Viktor really wants Yakov to be done then, but he pulls up a video of Viktor's free skate and then proceeds to point out all the errors in his jumps in super slow motion.

"Your spin here," Yakov gestures to video-Viktor, "You should probably consider changing the variation. The biellmann might have been something you could do once, but you're not as flexible anymore, so you slow down considerably when you use it. The GOE on this spin was quite low for your standards."

After about an hour or two of studying the jumps and spins, Viktor really wants it to be over, but Yakov keeps on going, and as much as Viktor wants to just leave, he is currently stuck on a plane, and the queue to the lavatory is insane.

"Now, your components," Yakov says and goes back to the score sheet, "While you got a perfect score for your interpretation on the short program, it was your weakest element in your free skate. The music you are using is not the type to get the crowd excited, and the story you are telling is vague. I'd suggest changing the choreographic sequence, as well as the first part of your program to establish your story." Yakov knows Viktor won't do this, because while Viktor might be receptive to most instructions, he rarely let's anyone interfere with his choreography. But Yakov keeps on going, and Viktor isn't entirely sure why he can't see that this is tiring Viktor out so much that he might not even remember this conversation in three hours.

Yakov then starts talking about his transitions, and honestly, at that point Viktor is gone. He's not even hearing Yakov's voice anymore, he's just vaguely registering that his mouth is moving and that some sort of noise is coming out of it.

Viktor knows he must have dozed off at some point, because Yakov wakes him up when they land in the airport, and Viktor quickly checks that he is presentable before leaving the plane. Thankfully, there aren't a whole ton of reporters at the airport, and when a lot of them start asking questions about Yuuri instead of him, Viktor momentarily forgets that he would like to sleep. Only momentarily though, because when they reach the hotel, Viktor takes a much needed nap.

He wakes up to Yuri on Ice playing softly, and he reaches for his phone to pick up Yuuri's call.

"'Ello," Viktor mumbles, his face half-pressed against his pillow. He can hear cars from the other end, so Yuuri is likely on his way back home from the rink.

"Were you sleeping?" Yuuri asks instead of greeting him, "Sorry if I woke you up."

"No, it's okay," Viktor says and quickly checks the time. It's past seven, so he's been sleeping for about four hours.

"Did you eat?" Yuuri asks, almost like he knows, and Viktor can't lie to him.

"No."

He hears Yuuri sigh, "Didn't you promise me that you would eat every day?"

"The day isn't over," Viktor points out, and Yuuri just sighs again. Or maybe he's actually running and he's just taking deep breaths. Viktor decides to go with that.

"You would definitely have slept through the rest of the day if I hadn't called," Yuuri says knowingly, "But I did promise to call and remind you, so I won't hang up until you've eaten."

"Really?" Viktor says and smiles a little, "Then what's stopping me from not eating and just talking to you forever?"

"I'll get mad at you for not taking care of yourself," Yuuri says and Viktor does feel a little threatened.

Just before they had gone to America for Yuuri's first competition, they'd had a fight. A pretty big fight. They had both been stressed out, and in order to make everything work, Viktor had gone a couple of days with almost no sleep. When Yuuri got fed up with Viktor pushing his body beyond his limit he had tried to make Viktor take a day or two off from coaching him. Viktor hadn't taken well to that, and in the end they had been yelling, and Yuuri had cried, while Viktor had left the apartment. It wasn't pretty.

In the end, Viktor had caved and apologized, and agreed to take a day off. Yuuri had apologized for escalating things, and not noticing how hectic Viktor's schedule was earlier. Viktor had spent his day off making a new schedule for when the season started that allowed him to both rest and get through all his work. It had been hard to allow Yakov to take a bit more off of his shoulders, but Viktor knew that this was what him and Yuuri had agreed on. They would chase their own dreams and not let anything get in the way of it, while supporting each other they best they could. And sometimes the best Viktor could do to support Yuuri was to look after himself. Because if Viktor wasn't well, Yuuri would undoubtedly worry about him, and once Yuuri got into that negative headspace, it was almost impossible to get him out of it.

So Viktor puts Yuuri on speaker and forces himself to order room service. He let's Yuuri pick the meal, and is happy that Yuuri takes a little pity on him and only orders a light salad with a bit of chocolate on the side. "You seem tired," he had said. And Viktor is once again so grateful for having Yuuri in his life. Because when Yuuri says that Viktor is tired, he doesn't mean sleepy, he means worn-out, exhausted, mentally drained, and near void of emotions. And while, yes, it does mean that Viktor will naturally gravitate towards getting some actual sleep, sometimes that doesn't actually do the trick. He could sleep, six, eight, twelve hours, and he'd still wake up just as exhausted. And sometimes he wouldn't. Sometimes, he just needed to reset. He really hopes that this is one of those days, where all he needs is to hit that reset button.

* * *

When Viktor wakes up the next morning, he feels better. Not quite at one hundred percent, but it doesn't take much convincing for him to roll out of bed and into the shower. Viktor has an early practice today - one that he hopes he can leave early - and after that he has other plans, which he is looking forward to. It's his one little, happy break before he has to go back into competition.

Upon arriving at the rink, Yakov instantly notices Viktor's mood and as a result the training is quite light. They work a little on the lutz, but in the end, the practice only serves to give Viktor his daily exercise. Yakov let's him go, and tells him to get some rest. Viktor leaves in the opposite direction of the hotel.

Originally, Viktor had planned on taking a cab to his destination, but with a little extra time, he can afford to walk. It's been awhile since Viktor has been in Japan. They haven't visited Hasetsu since after World Team Trophy, and while Osaka is not really the same, Viktor has missed this country. There is something about the people and the atmosphere that is so distinctively different from Russia, and Viktor feels like peace comes more easily to him here.

Viktor stops by some local food shops and ends up buying more snacks than he can carry in his bag. He even passes a takoyaki stand, and thinking of how Yuuri would like for him to eat lots of food, he buys some to snack on as he continues to his destination.

Viktor finally arrives - although he is about ten minutes late - and is greeted by a middle-aged women in a blue apron.

"Nikiforov?" She asks, her accent drawing out the syllables, and Viktor nods, and asks if there is a place he can put all the things he's bought on the way.

After his things are safely stored, she leads him into a small banquet hall, where another woman is serving a different customer.

The woman, who Viktor learns is named Megumi, starts off by confirming all of the information Viktor has previously given and asks a couple of questions about Yuuri and how much of their wedding they have planned.

"We can start looking over some different options, and then I can bring out some taste tests for you," she says and hands him a menu, "Do you have anyone in your party with allergies, or specific preferences that we need to take account for?"

Since Viktor is usually really bad at remembering things like this, Yuuri has been constantly reminding him through texts and pre-set alarms, just to make sure he wouldn't forget.

"We have one vegetarian, and one person who doesn't eat pork," Viktor smiles and the women writes down the new information, as Viktor continues look over the menu.

Since their wedding is in Japan, they did want their food to reflect Japanese culture and cuisine. They especially wanted to bring some of the home-feeling of Hasetsu and Yutopia into the wedding, and since Hiroko obviously couldn't cook their food, if she was to attend the wedding, they had sought to different methods.

The main course has already been decided, because while Katsudon is specifically a victory meal, and should only be made by Mama Hiroko, they still wanted to incorporate it into the menu. Therefore the main dish is what Viktor has cleverly dubbed a "deconstructed Katsudon". It contains all the ingredients of a katsudon, but it is arranged differently and would be fit to be served in a Michelin-star restaurant.

The dessert is a Russian-inspired, Nikiforov-original pastry with strawberries, since Yuuri has come to love all of Viktor's athlete-approved desserts, while one of Viktor's favorite things is strawberries. The rest is still undecided and that is what Viktor is here for.

So with Yuuri texting him different opinions, and Megumi feeding him different appetizers and wine-samples, Viktor takes a much needed break from the competitive environment, and indulges himself in wedding planning.

* * *

"How was the tasting?" Yuuri asks later. Viktor is in his bed, almost ready to sleep. He's wearing a face mask though, so Yuuri can get to see his pretty, pink face as they skype.

"Amazing. I'm sure you will like it."

"You do seem to know my taste buds better than I do," Yuuri smiles, "Did you remember to tell them about Guang-Hong and Otabek?"

"Guang-Hong is a vegitarian and Otabek doesn't eat pork, yes, I remembered."

"Who said your memory was bad again?" Yuuri teases and Viktor has to fight his smile to not ruin the face mask.

"Well, considering that you kept reminding me every ten minutes while I was there, it's probably you."

"No~" Yuuri almost sings, "You must be remembering wrongly."

Viktor can't hold back his laugh.

Just four more days, Viktor thinks, just four days.

* * *

Viktor spends the entire day before the short program in his hotel room, and most of the time, he's just half-sleeping in the bed. When he is awake he texts Yuuri, goes through his Yuuri-and-Makkachin photo album, watches Yuuri skate, and in the evening, he and Yuuri have a two hour long skype call - the exact amount of time it takes Viktor to get down a caesar salad and a chocolate bar. When Viktor gets home, the first thing he is going to do is hug Yuuri and then not let go until he has made up for two weeks of missed hugs and cuddles.

The bed feels too cold when Viktor goes to sleep.

* * *

Viktor still feels sluggish on the day of the short program, but he keeps himself going with the goal of making it to the Finals with Yuuri. He wants to put on another wonderful performance, but he knows that with the way he is feeling, it probably won't happen. At the very least, he can try to lay down a technically perfect program to make up for the component marks he will undoubtedly lose.

"You look like shit," Yurio says as he comes up to him in the warm-up area, "You really are useless without Katsudon, aren't you, old man?"

"Careful about who you call useless," Viktor says and enjoys the momentary distraction, "If I end up winning, what would that make you?"

"If you keep up that sour mood, I don't think anyone can lose to you," Yurio says, and Viktor smiles. Because that made Viktor feel like there weren't as much pressure. Everyone and their dog knew that Viktor was missing Yuuri. He had probably talked more about that in interviews than reporters had wanted him to, so there really isn't any pressure on him to skate perfectly. Rather, it would probably write a better story if a heart-broken Viktor Nikiforov couldn't put out another perfect performance, because he was missing his fiancé so much. The thought actually makes him kind of giddy, and Viktor starts imagining all the different headlines.

Technically speaking, Viktor just needs to place third and he'll probably get to the Finals. In the worst case scenario, he should probably hope for a second place finish. And Viktor thinks that is manageable. When he had gotten bronze in China, Viktor had thought Yuuri would demand he got gold in Japan (and it would be nice. Yuuri getting gold in Russia, Viktor getting gold in Japan), but he hadn't made any such demands. Possibly because Viktor's mood had been steadily going downwards, but nonetheless, Viktor wasn't actually expected to win this competition. Hell, he didn't even expect that of himself. It was very liberating.

Viktor's train of thought is disrupted when it's suddenly time for the second group to skate, and Yakov gives him a weird look when Viktor gives him a small, not-forced smile.

During the warm-up, Viktor tries to clear his head. Despite his own feelings, how he misses Yuuri and how his mind seems to be fuzzy with nothingness, the audience deserves a good performance. It's how he has always survived competitions where he wasn't at his best. It's how he's kept his consistency. By putting the crowd above himself. Everyone has good days, and everyone has bad days, and in a competition, Viktor has learned to control his bad days. The lowered pressure that Yurio has created has definitely helped, but unfortunately it didn't magically make everything better. Not even Yuuri can do that. But it will be enough to carry Viktor through today's competition.

Viktor has only a short break before it's his turn to skate. The Japanese skater, Takuya, is the first to take the ice, and his programs this season are definitely made with the Olympics in mind. He takes a temporary first with a new season's best.

Next up is Leo, and Viktor goes to the rinkside to watch him skate. Leo's style is wonderful. Both Viktor and Yuuri do make it a point to keep up with everything Leo does, and have both been guilty of going to ice shows just to watch him skate, because he has the ability to perform that cannot be achieved by training and passion alone. It's natural and the kind of genius that anyone in this sport should be jealous of. For his short program, Leo is skating to a piece from a popular American musical. The story-telling is immaculate and, in the men's field, Viktor thinks that kind of commitment can only be rivaled by Phichit, and Leo has the skating skills to back it up.

Viktor doesn't know if it's a blessing that he doesn't have a quad or not. Because on one hand, the lower technical content makes it easier for him to perform high-quality transitions and variations, however, this is still a sport. And without a quad, Leo's place on the podium is depended not on his own ability to deliver a flawless performance, but by the amount of mistakes his competitors make. It's a tough position to be in, but because of his popular status he has gained in the skating world, Leo probably enjoys performing more than winning, and he can still support himself without prize money. Although, of course, winning is never a bad thing, and Leo does have ambitions of making it to the Finals just like everyone else.

But Leo goes clean and takes first place, and then it's Viktor's turn. He greets the crowd and promises himself that he will put on a good performance. Even if it's not perfect, he will not disappoint. He takes a deep breath and puts his hands over his face. The music starts.

Getting the emotion across does not come as easily to Viktor as it had in China, but he carries himself with dignity and hopes that his performance doesn't come across as stilted and like he is just going through the motions of the program. The first jump is executed well, although Viktor did change the entry, because he could feel his energy leaving his body quicker than usual. The combination jump that is set to follow causes his a bit more trouble. As he lands the quad toe, he thinks that it would be smarter to put the combination in later, but he is so tired, that a combination in the second half of the program is out of the question. In the end he scrambles out a double toe as part of the combination, and hopes it didn't disrupt the performance too much.

As the program transitions into Stammi Vicino, Viktor finds it easier to perform. This part of the program fits better with how he is currently feeling, and Viktor suddenly has the realization that this program is double-edged sword. When he's in a good mood, he can easily perform the first part, while the second part is difficult and hard to project, but when his mood is staggering, the first part is almost impossible for him to perform, while the second half comes naturally. But, Viktor thinks, there isn't much he can do about it, and at least now he can take advantage of his mood.

Although he lands his quad flip perfectly, he is glad that he did not bring the combination with him, because he is ready to collapse. His legs are aching, and getting through the finishing step sequence is almost like torture, but he hits every note of the music like planned, and when Eros plays, Viktor feels like he can be satisfied with what he put out.

He takes a couple of deep breaths as he bows to the crowd, and skates over to Yakov at the border. Viktor can't read his face, but at least that means that he's not angry and Viktor takes that as a win.

"Putting on the double toe was smart," Yakov says and Viktor is surprised to hear something positive, "I almost thought you would be too tired to pull off the flip at the end."

Viktor doesn't answer and instead fumbles with a water bottle even as the camera pans over to them in the Kiss & Cry. His score is significantly lower than in China, but that's to be expected. The technical content was lower, and the performance was definitely lacking. Unless both Yurio and Seung-gil make grave mistakes, Viktor will not stay in the lead.

He doesn't get to see either of them skate, because as soon as he leaves the Kiss & Cry, a microphone is in his face and a reporter is kindly asking him about the short program and what he thinks he will do tomorrow.

The short program finishes before Viktor's interviews, and he quickly looks up the results on his phone. He's currently in third, behind Yurio in second and Seung-gil in first. The three of them are all hoping that this competition will get them into the Finals, but since both Yurio and Seung-gil are coming into this competition with a second place finish, Viktor is already behind. There is a little more pressure on him to do well, if he wants to advance.

When Viktor is back at the hotel, he had expected Yuuri to be the one to have messaged him the most (throughout the press conference, he had felt his pocket vibrate a couple of times with text messages), but is surprised to see a number of texts from Chris.

You don't look too good today

Don't push yourself too hard

But make it to the finals

But take care

I bet Yuuri is saying that too

Wow, you put up a pretty good short program

The second half was so solid

OH! Little Yuri just beat you.

Damn! Now Seung-gil. This is intense.

You look a like you need a nap

Maybe switch up the makeup for tomorrow

So you look more alive

Hey, call me if you need a friend

Viktor almost takes Chris up on that, but he isn't really in the mood for talking so he texts instead.

Thanks. I'll be fine. See you in the Finals.

Do you need a hug?

Probably.

I'll send you a hug then

?

Chris' form of a virtual hug is pictures, gifs and videos of cute dogs.

When Yuuri calls a little later, he can tell that Viktor is in a better mood, and he makes Viktor laugh much more easily than yesterday.

* * *

When it gets time for the free skate, Viktor feels ready. He could have used this mood yesterday, but he can come back from third place. Hell, if Yuuri could come back from sixth place at Worlds to win the entire thing, then Viktor is sure he can win from only three points behind.

The second group is quite interesting. Minami has clawed his way from the first group and into the second, and during their warm-up Minami gives him a huge smile and two thumbs up. Given his world standing, the NHK Trophy is his only grand prix assignment, so he can't make it into the Finals, nor did he get to compete against Yuuri like he declared he wanted to last season, but he's slowly getting there. Viktor is rooting for him and goes to take a selfie with the kid to put up on his Instagram. Yuuri is the first to like the photo.

The first skater to perform in the second group is Yurio. Viktor has watched through his short program in the morning before getting out of bed, and Yurio had been successful in landing his quad loop. He hopes he'll be successful in his attempt in the free as well.

Yurio's music for the free program is Schindler's List . The piece was chosen by Lilia and mostly choreographed by her as well. Viktor had a couple of inputs though, so he counts it as a joined effort even though he mostly worked with Yurio on the short program.

The program utilizes Yurio's insane agility, as well as draws on the experience he gained from his programs last season. It's more mellow than his previous free program, but the balletic persona is still present. The program might not be as upbeat as his short program, but Yurio always manages to get incredible speed into every program, and still make it work with the slower music choice.

Although the shaky landing, he does land the loop at the top of his program and it visibly boosts his confidence for the rest of the performance. Due to what is probably a lack of stamina, he steps out of his last quad - the solo quad salchow - but otherwise there are no glaring mistakes. The program is not quite where it needs to be yet, but with a relative clean performance, Yurio will surely be ready to defend his title when they come to Japan for the Finals.

Seung-gil skates to another program where he can show off some personality. The music, La Strada , is quite popular in Japan and the crowd is excited even before the first jump. The program is constructed in a way that gives Seung-gil time to focus on the jumps before committing to a character entirely. It's a very clever strategy for someone who is not naturally a showman, but is clearly making an effort. The result is a very memorable choreographic sequence and some very well executed jumps (apart from the one mistake he makes on a quad toe), and while his free skate score is just under Yurio's, his lead from the short program takes him in first place.

Then it's Minami who, very wisely, has kept both his programs from last season. The program has developed even further than when Viktor last saw it at Japan Nationals, and he even tries for a quad, although the attempt is unsuccessful.

When Viktor takes to the ice, his body feels ready, rested and strong. Just before Minami gets his score, Viktor goes for a quad loop - even though he won't use it - and lands it perfectly. He really is on fire today.

The music for his free skate is quiet. Not the kind of music people usually choose to skate to, because the crowd tends to be quite silent aside from when the jumps are executed. The program starts with Viktor reaching out his hand, only to retract it and then raises to towards the skies. He moves, slowly, with care and gentle expressions, to set up for his first element, a quad toe-triple toe combination. He lands it with ease and glides into his transitions as he moves straight into the next quad, this time the salchow. That one he nails too, and he moves further into the choreography and skates to the piano softly playing.

The program is personal, Viktor would even call it introverted, as he pursues something invisible to everyone but him. His triple flip almost melts into the choreography, as if he takes a leap towards heaven, only to fall down and to keep trying. The lutz he goes for next is probably wrong once again, but Viktor is consumed by the performance only, and he enters his first spin.

One triple salchow-triple toe combination later, Viktor begins his step sequence. He starts as he grabs something in front of him, like a dream that just came true. He brings it close to his heart, only to let it go and share it with people around him, and he keeps on skating to keep that dream alive.

One more spin, and then comes the second half jumps. This time he doesn't stagger on the triple loop, and he moves straight into a triple axel combination. It's a combination unique to him, since he puts it in combination with a triple flip. The choreographic sequence marks the most upbeat part of the performance, and Viktor showcases strength and passion as he reaches the climax of the program. He tops the performance off with a triple axel right at the end, and a final spin which gains a standing applause before the last note of the music has been played.

He knows before he looks at Yakov that he's in for another lecture about how bad his lutz is, but honestly, two days ago Viktor had not expected to skate this program nearly as well as he did. Sure, there were some mistakes, and the level of difficulty was nowhere near his usual standard, but it was good. It was worthy of being a program performed by Viktor Nikiforov. Yakov's complaints can wait a day or two.

Once again, Viktor doesn't get to see the rest of the competitors skate, but as the event comes to a close, Viktor finds himself at the top of the podium.

* * *

"Congratulations!" Yuuri greets as Viktor calls him from the hotel, "The free program was even better than in China. Are you feeling better? You looked calmer."

"Well, I'll get to see you soon," Viktor smiles. Although the exhibition is tomorrow, he has an evening flight so that he can get home to Yuuri as soon as possible.

"I miss you so much," Yuuri sighs, and Viktor clutches his phone as if he could make Yuuri feel his emotions through that single action.

"I miss you too," He says, "You will watch the exhibition, right?"

"Of course, will you skate Agape again?"

Viktor laughs a little, "I'm not that predictable. I think my exhibition will surprise you."

"I look forward to it."

* * *

For Viktor's exhibition, he starts where his short program left off and he skates to Eros .

* * *

 **1) Programs**

 **Leo's short program is inspired by Jason Brown's Hamilton. This is almost purely because Jason himself made the comparison between him and Leo (what a dork), but also because Leo simply has the exact same strengths as Jason, and it's just a perfect fit. Also, Jason is my fave US single skater, so I gotta shout him out :P**

 **Yurio's free skate is inspired by Yulia Lipnitskaya's Schindler's List. Since Yurio is based on her, I thought it was only fitting to let her be the inspiration for at least one of his programs.**

 **Seung-gil's free skate is inspired by Boyang Jin's La Strada (because I can't not have a Boyang reference, I love that boy so much). I think it fits Seung-gil's style very well, because he doesn't seem to be very good at emoting and putting a lot of choreography into jumps, but he is clearly trying his hardest, and if that doesn't scream Boyang I don't know what does. Although, Boyang's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a work of art. Sorry, I'm very enthusiastic about this boy.**

 **Viktor's free skate is inspired by Yuzuru Hanyu's Hope & Legacy (I promise, I'll stop with the yuzu, but I may or may not have one more, I'm currently undecided). I think it fits Viktor very well, especially since this season is all about the legacy he is leaving behind.**

 **2) From now on I will keep you up-to-date on the standings and who's in the runnings for the Finals.**

 **Viktor: 26 points (bronze & gold)**  
 **Seung-gil: 26 points (silver & silver)**  
 **Yurio: 24 points (silver & bronze)**  
 **Yuuri: 15 points (gold)**  
 **Phichit: 15 points (gold)**  
 **JJ: 15 points (gold)**  
 **Chris: 13 points (silver)**  
 **Georgi: 11 points (bronze)**  
 **Emil: 11 points (bronze)**  
 **Michele: 9 points (fourth)**  
 **Otabek: 9 points (fourth)**  
 **Guang-Hong: 9 points (fourth)**  
 **Leo: 9 points (fourth)**

 **Tiebreakers: placements (1), total score (2) - this may or may not be relevant.**


	11. Internationaux de France

**I keep forgetting to upload these chapters, so please just tell me it's been a long time when you get impatient.**

 **Fact of the Chapter: We've talked about the jumps, which hugely contribute to the technical points which a skater can get, but let's talk about the Program Component Score (PCS). There are five components which are judged in a program, and today we'll talk about the first: Skating Skills.**

 **Skating skills are the foundation of figure skating (in my humble opinion) and when judging skating skills there are a couple of things to consider. There is speed, which is essentially how fast a person can skate but also how well they can accelerate and slow down by will. There is one-footed skating, since there is obviously a huge difference in using one or two feet to skate. Then we have edges, flat skating is easier than skating on deep edges. Although steps and turns are often associated with step sequences and transitions, all the in-betweens are judged in skating skills, which include how difficult the movements are. As an example, having a lot of crossovers (simple skating movement usually used to generate speed) is not something which would give a skater many points for skating skills. These are the basics for skating skills and I have definitely talked too much now. On with the chapter.**

* * *

Katsuki Yuuri's life is great. That's what he thinks as he slowly wakes up. A ray of sunshine escaping the gap between the curtains is resting on his face, and he holds up a hand to block it from his eyes. Makkachin's warm body is pressed against his back, and though Viktor isn't currently in the bed, it's still warm on his side of the bed and Yuuri reaches for his pillow and hugs it close to his chest. He can smell the faint herbs coming from the kitchen where Viktor is cooking. He's probably thinking of serving Yuuri breakfast in bed, and Yuuri has no reason to ruin those plans, so he stays in bed. It's already past ten in the morning, much later than when Yuuri usually gets up, but both him and Viktor are having a rest day. It's only fair. Viktor had only just gotten home last night, and how could Yuuri possibly concentrate on anything but the fact that he finally had his beautiful fiancé back to hug, kiss and love as much as he wanted. Life really is great, he thinks again and almost dozes back off to sleep.

But there is a loud noise from the kitchen, one that Yuuri can't place, and his eyes open wide as he sits up, waiting for the next sound. As he silently sits on the bed, Makkachin also having woken up beside him, he listens as he hears Viktor's voice. Which is rare. While the kitchen isn't far away, Viktor is usually very careful with keeping his voice down whenever Yuuri is sleeping. Yuuri can't make out what Viktor is saying though. His speech is fast-paced and definitely Russian, and through the bedroom door, it just seems like angry growling. Which is what makes Yuuri leave the bed, because Viktor very rarely gets angry.

He slips on a robe to cover his naked body, and makes his way to Viktor, Makkachin following him as he goes. He walks quietly, almost afraid to disturb Viktor in whatever he's doing and is surprised to find Viktor on his phone. He has his back turned, so Yuuri can only see as his shoulders look more tense than he would like, and see as he clutches his phone in what Yuuri can only describe as anger.

Viktor responds once again to whatever is being said, and though he doesn't yell this time - Yuuri assumes the loud noise had been Viktor yelling - he's definitely furious. More so than Yuuri has ever seen him. His voice is low, frustrated, and he runs his hand through his hair to perhaps calm himself down. Yuuri would do it for him if he wasn't afraid of startling him by suddenly intruding on his conversation. In Viktor's response, Yuuri can only understand that Viktor is dissatisfied with some decision that has been made. By who, he doesn't know, but it's clearly someone Viktor can't persuade to change their mind. If it was, Viktor would be giddy, optimistic and possibly smiling.

Viktor then starts pacing and that's when he spots Yuuri. He stops abruptly in his tracks as he looks at Yuuri, and he pauses in the middle of a reply before picking up where he left off. He stops pacing and goes to Yuuri instead. He takes his arm and guides him over to the stove, where their breakfast is sitting abandoned and half-cooked. Yuuri takes the hint that there is nothing he can do, and finishes up breakfast as Viktor continues on with his phone call, Makkachin trotting around him in circles, trying to cheer Viktor up.

Yuuri almost drops the plates he's setting up for them as Viktor exclaims something that sounds suspiciously vulgar - which ones again sets off a million red flags. Yuuri keeps score of how many times Viktor has cursed, and the counter possibly just went up to two. He then hangs up, throws his phone on the couch and slumps into Yuuri's arms, even though he's currently holding two glasses that could be dropped at any moment.

Viktor stays latched onto Yuuri despite the awkward position, while Yuuri tries to maneuver him closer to the table so he can put down the glasses and properly return the hug that Viktor clearly needs. When the glasses are successfully placed on the table, Yuuri picks Viktor up and walk them to the couch, where they can stay intertwined comfortably for however long Viktor wants to stay there.

When the tension starts disappearing from Viktor's shoulders, Yuuri thinks he can ask.

"Who did you yell at?" He starts sweetly, trying to keep a light mood.

"Yakov," Viktor answers without looking up at Yuuri. Yuuri keeps silent though, because he can tell that Viktor is going to tell him what's going on, "Apparently," he says, his voice full of anger and possibly disbelief, "The Olympic committee won't allow me to attend the Olympics both as a skater and a coach. That means that during the competition, I am not allowed to wear the Team Japan uniform, I am not allowed to send you off before your skate or sit with you in the Kiss & Cry. And that also applies to the Team Event, even if I weren't going to participate in it."

Viktor sighs, angry and frustrated, and Yuuri understands, because while it takes him awhile to let it all sink in, he can feel himself get angry as well.

"But that makes no sense!" He blurts out, forgetting that he's really supposed to be comforting Viktor here, "The ISU has had no problem letting you do both, so why is the Olympic committee suddenly saying it's not allowed? No one has done it before, which means that they're specifically targeting us. This has to be illegal!"

"That's what I said too, but apparently it's completely within their right to do so. Which means I either have to withdraw from the Olympics, or step down as your coach for the most important competition."

"That is ridiculous."

"I know!" Viktor jerks up, and now they're really just a couple angry fiancés enabling each other as they begin their ten minute roast of the Olympic Committee, and then the ISU for not having prevented the Committee from making horrible choices.

"I mean, it's not like they're the ones doing the work!" Viktor exclaims, "In fact, making up dumb rules is literally more work than just letting us do what we want."

"And it's not like they're gaining anything from it? Articles like the story about winning in the face of adversity, and any time you do anything unprecedented, it's always a huge deal. No one is going to like this. Sure, they might be the talk of the town for some time, but it's all going to be backlash. This is a bad decision no matter how you look at it."

They continue on like that for quite some time.

"Ah!" Viktor suddenly piques up in the middle of a rant, "Our food is getting cold."

"I think it's been cold for some time now," Yuuri says and looks over to the half-set table that sports some very soggy eggs, bacon set in grease, and some of those pancakes Viktor makes that really do taste better warm.

"Sorry, I was going to make something nice for you, and now… well..."

"It's okay," Yuuri smiles, "We can make it work."

(Viktor takes their soggy breakfast and turns it into bagel stuffing and, honestly, it's one of the most delicious meals Yuuri has even had)

* * *

"You didn't invite the whole team over this time?" Viktor asks a couple of days later. He's lying on the floor, playing with Makkachin.

"You didn't seem up for it this time," Yuuri says as he slides the veggie-pie into the oven.

"And I did last time?"

"Well~" Yuuri sings, "You ended up having fun, did you not?"

"I guess," Viktor pouts, losing what was barely an argument. Makkachin then licks his nose to regain his attention, and Viktor goes back to playing with the poodle.

"Let's make bets," Yuuri says after a while, and Viktor briefly looks over to him to show that he's paying attention, "Whoever guesses the winner of the competition gets to choose where we eat for our next date night."

"Is this because you want to go to that Russia place?" Viktor says sceptically. Yuuri has been trying to convince Viktor for months to go there, but Viktor, for some reason Yuuri can't figure out, is not a fan of most Russian cuisine.

"Maybe," Yuuri smiles, "But you probably have something in mind too, right?"

"Definitely. I bet on Chris."

Well shit, "That was going to be my vote!" Yuuri exclaims and Viktor laughs, "Okay, I choose Otabek then. Statistically speaking, Otabek never once placed lower than Chris last season."

"But!" Viktor interjects, "Chris has the best personal score, and they're in France. Chris loves a good audience, and he always performs well there. When was the last time Chris competed in France and didn't win?"

"... Damn, that's a good point," Yuuri says and almost regrets making the bet, "But Otabek is the ultimate dark horse, and Chris is better at pacing himself. Also, Otabek needs a good finish to make it into the Finals. Chris probably just needs to stand on the podium. So Otabek is probably more motivated to win than Chris."

"You make a compelling argument, my love, but there is not way Chris will lose."

"You really have no way of knowing that," Yuuri deadpans, and Viktor just gives him a look.

"Say that we're both wrong then, who wins?"

"Whoever's candidate places the highest," Yuuri says but then reconsiders, "Or, whoever wins gets to choose a place for us. As punishment for us not thinking they could win."

"They could win," Viktor says in fake thoughtfulness, "But not against Chris."

"I really hope you're wrong."

Viktor just smiles.

* * *

After the short program, Michele is in the lead, Georgi in a close second, while Viktor and Yuuri furiously send good luck messages to their candidates. Chris immediately figures out Viktor and Yuuri has a bet going, while Otabek just responds with a thanks?

* * *

"I suppose Mickey winning wouldn't be so bad," Yuuri ponders the next night as they settle down in front of the tv to watch the free skate, "Who doesn't love Italian food?"

"Oh, my beautiful Yuuri, you're so naive," Viktor sighs dramatically as he drapes himself around Yuuri, "You're forgetting that Mickey's sister is Sara, who is friends with Mila. Any friend of Mila's is a troublemaker, so she would pick something weird, and we would be in for a bad date."

"Damn, you're right," Yuuri says horrified, "Well, let's hope Otabek wins then."

Viktor immediately lets go of Yuuri, looking offended, "Excuse me? Where is this Chris erasure coming from?"

"Oh, he can place second, I don't mind."

"Wow, Yuuri, wow," Viktor says and promptly leaves the room. What a drama queen.

"No~ Viktor~ Come back!" Yuuri tries after a while, and when that doesn't work, "Vitya~" And still nothing. So Yuuri forgets about it, if Viktor wants to sulk, Yuuri is going to leave him to that. In the meantime, he watches as the first group of skaters go through their warm-up.

About halfway through the first skater's program - a Spaniard skating to Charlie Chaplin music - Viktor comes back and sits down besides Yuuri, grinning widely and clutching something that looks like red fabric in his hands. Yuuri decides not to ask.

The first group goes by almost like a nightmare. Two skaters fall hard on the ice, one withdrawing mid-skate and the other popping back his dislocated shoulder before shakily moving on with the program. The two incidents resolve in the next couple of skaters looking slightly shaken by the whole ordeal, and they can't quite keep it together.

And then for the second group. As the six skaters line up for their introduction on center ice, Viktor smiles at Yuuri. When Chris' name is called, Viktor reveals the giant Swiss flag, he's been holding onto this entire time, and almost knocks Yuuri over in the process.

"Go Chris!" Viktor cheers, completely ignoring Yuuri, who's still recovering from almost being hit in the face.

"He can't hear you!"

"Of course he can!" Viktor says stubbornly, "We're connected by the magic of friendship."

"Sure..." Yuuri says and takes out his phone, "Smile for me." And Viktor does.

 **katsudonyuuri**

[image]

Liked by **phichit-chu** , **v-nikiforov** and **6.248 others**

 **katsudonyuuri** favoritism at its peak **christophe-gc** control your bff, he almost knocked me out

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 **gaycometti** tfw your fave stans your other fave #chrisforgold

 **victor-y** lbr i think viktor's actual fave is yuuri

 **yuri_plisetsky** otabek is the real winner #chrisforanythingbutgold

 **phichit+chu** do you have a flag for me too? #bff

JUST NOW

"I look really good in this picture," Viktor says giddily as he likes Yuuri's post, "But how did Phichit like this post before me? I liked it before I even got the notification! He's even commented on it? What is this witchcraft?"

"Just admit it, gorgeous, you'll never beat Phichit in the social media game."

"Oh look, it's starting," Viktor says to avoid admitting defeat, and Yuuri laughs at him and settles in to watch the second group. Viktor drapes the flag over them as a blanket.

Georgi is up first and his free skate is no less dramatic than his short program. He skates to Phantom of the Opera. And the program itself is not without its drama. He starts out by quite spectacularly jumping into the barrier, but gets up like absolutely nothing happened and does a beautiful quad-triple combination. The program goes on with Georgi dramatically singing along to his music and sometimes delivering lines from the movie - none of which are caught by any microphones, but both Yuuri and Viktor have seen (and heard) Georgi practice, so they know.

Then, after two minutes of flawless skating where the first mistake seems to have never happened, Georgi, somehow, manages to both pop his triple axel into a double, as well as fall on it. Which is all kinds of amazing, except for the fact that it's just a bad thing being made worse. He then draws on some of his many years of experience and changes his next jump to a combination - after having missed on the triple axel turned double - which just adds to the drama of it all. He ends the program with his hand covering half his face, as he looks intensely at the judges and, consequently, the camera. Yuuri scoots a little closer to Viktor.

Unsurprisingly, Georgi goes into the lead, but then comes Chris.

"Allez, Chris!" Viktor cheers, and Yuuri almost pulls out his phone again, but decides against it. One post a month is enough for him.

For his free skate, Chris skates to a medley of Elvis songs . It's sexy, mature and actually very cool. The free skate combines Chris' ability to seduce the audience with his natural showmanship and the crowd loves it. By now, all Chris fans has had some time since Cup of China to memorize the music cuts, and they're all singing and clapping along. Viktor was not wrong about Chris doing well in front of what is basically a home crowd. The performance is almost perfect, there are a few mistakes that will definitely go unnoticed by everyone but the judges, and then a hand down on his triple axel, but Chris has, at that point, already racked together enough points to go into first place by a huge amount.

"300!" Viktor exclaims as Chris gets his score, "That will win for sure!"

"You don't know that!" Yuuri protests, "Phichit got 306 when he won China. Otabek doesn't even need a personal best to win."

"In the second grand prix assignment, he won't score that high," Viktor says. Statistically speaking, it is very unusual to see people score their highest early in the season, but…

"If Otabek had a new program, yes, but he's reusing the one from last season. Which means that, unlike Chris, he won't lose a level on his steps, and he's probably worked on all the things he struggled with last season. And!" Yuuri continues before Viktor can interject, "The judges already love this program! There is no reason Otabek shouldn't score higher than Chris. And, of course, Otabek was already ahead of Chris in the short program, so he's got the advantage."

"But that's only if Otabek skates clean!" Viktor says, "Chris has better components, and he had the experience to change his last jumping pass after he made a mistake. Otabek has never done that."

"But he's more experienced now. He's gotten bronze at the last two Worlds, and he keeps growing. I think he has a really good chance."

They don't get to continue their argument, because Mickey is already skating. His music is an Italian piece (unsurprisingly) called Turna A Surriento. Just like his short program, the choreography is passionate, and somewhat romantic, but, of course, those are Mickey's strengths, so it all makes perfect sense. Since Mickey only has one quad, and doesn't put his quad-triple in the second half like Phichit, he needs to be flawless if he hopes to overtake Chris. And unfortunately that does not happen. He puts his hand down on his solo quad toe, stumbles in his step sequence and loses a level on his last spin - probably due to fatigue - and it puts him quite far behind Chris.

"So… Viktor says, it will be either you, me or Emil who gets to decide the restaurant. Emil has a lot of quads, although he rarely lands all of them… What kind of food does he like?"

"I think he's like you," Yuuri says, "Eats just about anything."

"Look," Viktor says and shakes his head, "Even if you made it, I would not touch borscht."

"I don't understand what you don't like about it."

"It's soup served cold!" Viktor says outrageously. They've had this conversation before. "Cold soup defeats the purpose of soup. You might as well serve uncooked bread!"

"That's not remotely the same thing."

"It is, and you know it."

Yuuri rolls his eyes.

Emil's program is a techno piece. It's quite original and helps cover up the fact that he still needs a lot of work when it comes to performance and interpretation. However, he is an excellent jumper. He starts with a quad loop, and lands it. Then he goes for the quad salchow in combination, and he lands it. The second quad salchow unfortunately turns into a triple, but he has another quad planned later. Going into the second half, he lands his quad toe, but stumbles on his first triple axel, shakily putting a combo on the end. Yuuri would personally have discarded the combination, and put it on the second axel, but when Emil falls on his second attempt at the jump, it turns out to have been the right decision to make. But with no components to fall back on, Emil takes fourth after Georgi.

"And it all comes down to Otabek," Viktor smiles, "How exciting."

Watching Otabek is almost anxiety-inducing and Yuuri doesn't know why this dumb bet is suddenly so important. It's not like Viktor is going to take him out to eat fish guts… probably. With Viktor there is really no knowing. But Yuuri likes winning, so in the end it is important.

"Only a level 3 spin," Viktor says as Otabek ends his first spin, "Chris had all level 4s."

"Chris always has level 4 spins. Otabek's strength is performance and powerful jumps. And he has yet to make a mistake on any of those," Yuuri counters.

"Level 3 steps. It doesn't look good, Yuuri," Viktor teases.

"But he landed his quad salchow, and that's in the second half."

"Another level 3 spin. Say goodbye to your Russian restaurant, my love. Chris has got this in the bag," Viktor says when the performance ends.

"Look at the tec score! It's higher than Chris' and he was ahead in the short," Yuuri argues.

"It will come down to pcs, which Chris will win."

"I agree that Chris will win the free, but overall? Otabek has a good chance."

"You're fooling yourself. There is no chance he will even get near."

"That's not true at all."

In the end, four points separate Chris and Otabek, and Yuuri has to admit the defeat when Chris takes home the gold.

"So when do you want to go out?" Yuuri asks as they watch the medal ceremony.

"Well, your birthday is coming up," Viktor smiles sweetly, and Yuuri gapes.

"You're going to take me somewhere weird for my birthday? Shouldn't we eat something I would like?"

"What makes you think you won't like what I have in mind?"

"Because then you would have already taken me there."

"Good point."

Yuuri groans. His birthday is in two weeks. But before they get to that, he has Skate America to win.

* * *

 **It's a bit short, but it's okay, since they were just watching. Next time we'll have Yuuri competing and it will be exciting. Especially since it's the last qualifer! Who will make it to the Finals? Feel free to guess, it obviously won't influence my decision :P**

 **1) Why is Viktor not allowed to be Yuuri's coach at the Olympics? Well my dear readers, if you know anything about the Pyeongchang Olympics, it's probably that Russia was banned from it because they had systematically doped Russian athletes. Some Russian athletes were then allowed to participate under a neutral flag as Olympic Athletes of Russia. Well, obviously, I'm assuming that the YoI-verse is super nice and that they simply wouldn't do something like that. And even if they had, you can bet your ass Viktor would support the Russian-ban because he probably believes fully in athletes winning by their own means. But I wanted some controversy, and therefore, a coach-skater ban was put in place :) But that also means no Russian ban if you were wondering what I would do with that :D**

 **2) Programs!**

 **Michele's free skate is inspired by Matteo Rizzo's Turna A Surriento. It's Italian, passionate and probably plays well into what Michele is pretty good at skating (which is usually what you go for in an Olympic season). It also fits well with the short program I chose for him :)**

 **Georgi's free skate is just... dramatic Phantom of the Opera. I knew from the moment I sat down to give everyone programs that Georgi should skate to Phantom. It's not inspired by anyone really, but here are some examples presented by Yuzuru Hanyu, Patrick Chan and Max Aaron (I think that's about as wide of variety you will get)**

 **Chris' free skate is inspired by Javier Fernandez' Elvis Medley. It'd be pretty rude to leave Javi out, and don't you think him and Chris both have that mature sexiness around them at all times? They even both wear glasses when they dork it up ;)**

 **Emil's free skate is inspired by Boyang Jin's Technological Exhibition . It's from two seasons ago, which means it was before Boyang really knew how to put his personality into a performance (especially in competition), which is more or less where I think Emil is at. Although, Boyang surely had a lot of fun in the exhibition :P**

 **Otabek's free skate is the same as last season. This is because his short program is quite different from what he's probably used to, so he could focus more on that and then just polish up his free skate :)**

 **3) Standings for the Finals**  
 **Chris: 28 points (silver & gold)**  
 **Viktor: 26 points (bronze & gold) - places higher due to 1st tiebreaker**  
 **Seung-gil: 26 points (silver & silver)**  
 **Yurio: 24 points (silver & bronze)**  
 **Otabek: 22 points (fourth & silver)**  
 **Michele: 20 points (fourth & bronze) - places higher due to 2nd tiebreaker**  
 **Georgi: 20 points (bronze & fourth)**  
 **Emil: 18 points (bronze & fifth)**  
 **Yuuri: 15 points (gold)**  
 **Phichit: 15 points (gold)**  
 **JJ: 15 points (gold)**  
 **Guang-Hong: 9 points (fourth)**  
 **Leo: 9 points (fourth)**

 **Tiebreakers: placements (1), total score (2) - this may or may not be relevant.**


	12. Skate America

**Okay, so let's time we talked about Skating Skills, so this time we can talk about transitions which is the second of the five components.**

 **Transitions is, much like the name suggests, the transitioning elements between... basically everything else. It's what a skater does before and after jumps and spins, and how highly a skater is scored depends on the variety, diffuculty and amount of transitions used. In YoI terms, you can take a look at Yuuri's triple axel in Eros which is entered from a spread eagle. The spread eagle would then be part of the transition, however, moves used before the spread eagle will also be counted as transitions. A good indicator of a skater using many transitions is how much regular skating appears in the program. For a good example, compare Alina Zagitova's _Black Swan_ and Boyang Jin's _How To Train Your Dragon_ programs, of which you will see Alina's transition packed program versus Boyang's which is quite lacking of transitions. (Before you come after me, remember that Boyang is one of my fave skaters). **

**Anyway, on with the chapter!**

* * *

Viktor watches as Yuuri lands yet another perfect jump and normally that would make him ecstatic. They're in America, the short program is tomorrow and Yuuri seems to be on a roll. But Viktor can't help but feel like this is merely the calm before the storm. However, he carries on as usual. Yuuri is strong, and Viktor may be worrying without reason. If Yuuri ever needs him, he will be there, and if not, then he will merely watch on as Yuuri conquers.

Yuuri skates up to him, and grabs his water bottle. As he drinks, he notices Viktor's intense gaze.

"I'm not going to break," he says kindly, although Viktor can hear the hidden insult: Have more faith in me, you idiot!

"Sorry," he sighs and shakes his head, "Let's do the lutz again."

Yuuri skates out with a twizzle to make Viktor smile and gears up for a perfect lutz. And then he puts a triple toe on the end of it. Viktor should know better than to doubt Yuuri these days.

About halfway through the practice, someone decides to startle Viktor by talking to him as he's in his Yuuri-trance:

"You are so whipped, you know that?"

Viktor almost jumps from surprise, only to see Phichit just on the other side of the boards. Phichit picks up the Makkachin plushie and plays around with it for a bit.

"Yuuri was never this calm the day before a competition, you know," Phichit continues and they both look to Yuuri who has taken up a conversation with Guang-Hong on the other side of the rink, "Celestino is a really good coach. I would know. Both me and Yuuri would never have gotten anywhere without him, but I think Yuuri needed something else. Something different. I think Celestino knew that too, although I know he wasn't too fond of that 'something' being you." Phichit laughs, and Viktor smiles. He remembers well the unkind words Celestino had greeted him with when he had first started coaching Yuuri.

"Well, it worked out quite well in the end," Phichit turns to Viktor with his big contagious smile, "I miss having Yuuri around, but as long as you don't mess it up, it's okay."

"Was that your shovel talk?" Viktor teases, "I expected a bit more from you, Chulanont."

"Oh no, not at all. I'm saving that for your wedding day."

"Well, in that case I thank you for your kind words," Viktor smiles and bows curtly, "And if you ever want to train with Yuuri again, you have my number."

"Stop stealing my students!" Celestino growls as he comes up to them - probably to make Phichit stop chatting to someone else's coach. Viktor and Phichit make no effort to hide their laughs.

* * *

"Ne, Viktor?" Yuuri begins suddenly that same night, "I was thinking. If I skate my short program cleanly tomorrow, can I change the layout for the Finals?"

"You have skated it clean exactly zero times." Viktor reminds him, "Why would you change it, if it goes well once? As your coach I can't advise that particular strategy. Making changes to a program half-way through the season usually comes at an expensive of the quality. It's why you were able to improve your free skate so much from the Finals to Worlds last season. But the short program is trickier. One mistake is more fatal than in the free."

"You're sounding like Yakov," Yuuri giggles, and Viktor wonders if he is perhaps a little too tired to have a proper conversation. But it's not like Yuuri to bring up something like this if he hasn't thought it though. And he's probably thought about it a lot.

"Well, Yakov is a good coach," Viktor says defensively, although usually he would like to be seen as different from Yakov. Although Yuuri has pointed out multiple times that Viktor takes a lot after Yakov in his teachings, not matter how many times he tries to change.

"Yes, but he doesn't take risks. Not like you," Yuuri says and his eyes begin to sparkle, "And it's just for the Finals, and I'll go back to my original layout, but I want to try it. Just once."

"What do you want to do?" Viktor caves. Last time Yuuri changed his program layout on a whim, it resulted in a world record, so Viktor trusts that Yuuri knows what he is doing. Or at least knows enough to think that asking will get him somewhere.

"I want to change the toe to a lutz."

Viktor looks at him, blinks and then finds himself as a loss for words, "You, I… what?"

"The toe," Yuuri repeats, "Change it for the lutz."

Viktor sighs: "You haven't landed it in competition yet, and to put it into the short, you would have to perform it from connecting steps, since it's the solo jump."

"I already do that in the free though." Yuuri counters stubbornly. There's a good chance that he has played out this conversation in his head, which means that Viktor can't win. He tries anyways though.

"Yes, but you haven't landed it outside of practice yet."

"That's true," Yuuri says, seemingly unfazed, "Say, I skate a clean short and land my quad lutz, will you let me change it?"

"Give me a reason why you should change it? You are aware that you already have the most difficult short program this season, right?"

"I want to break Yurio's record," Yuuri says, a devilish smile appearing on his face, "With the triple axel in the first half, my current layout can't beat it, even if I maxed out my score. But with the lutz I could break it."

Viktor gets closer to Yuuri, because this is an important conversation.

"You do understand that if you make a mistake in the short, you could lose, right?" Viktor says sternly, going into full coach mode now, "Me, Chris, whoever else makes it to the Finals. If you mess up and fall behind, any one of us will gladly take that opportunity to climb the podium. We took the salchow out of your short program to minimize mistakes, but your lutz doesn't even have the success rate your salchow does. Are you willing to take that risk? Just for a shot at the world record?"

"Yes," Yuuri breathes and rests his forehead on Viktor's, "And after I've taken Yurio's record," he says sweetly, seductively, his breath lingering warmly on Viktor's lips, "I'm coming for yours."

Viktor smiles and leans in for a kiss.

* * *

Although he went to bed feeling this competition was going to be amazing, Viktor wakes up feeling almost the exact opposite, and he doesn't know why. Maybe it's the relative silence on his social media, or maybe it's just on pure instinct, but something feels wrong, and he can't put his finger on what. Since the competition is in the evening, Yuuri will have a morning practice, and they'll do some interviews before they start getting ready for the competition.

When they enter the rink, Viktor can't help but notice that there are only five skaters present, when he knows that all six were supposed to show up for morning practice. And since they were all there yesterday, it's not a matter of a skater being stuck at the airport - something Viktor himself has been unlucky enough to experience. After half an hour, they're still only five, and Viktor scoots closer to Celestino.

"Hey," he asks, neither of them taking their eyes off of their skater, "Where's JJ?"

"I don't know," he answers, "Haven't seen him since yesterday."

Celestino seems calm though. Maybe it's not odd to him. Maybe Viktor has just never noticed that some skaters prefer off-ice practice on the day of a competition. It wouldn't be the first time Viktor has noticed something new due to his role as a coach. As a skater, you're always inside your own head, because focusing on others is probably the worst thing you can do.

After practice, Yuuri is swarmed by some journalists who want to ask him about his expectations for the night, and wish him good luck. Viktor takes the time to check JJ's social media. And there is nothing. He checks the official site, and the ISU twitter account to see if there are any updates or withdrawals, and still he comes up with a blank. Perhaps JJ really is just out on a morning run.

Viktor doesn't know if Yuuri has noticed that JJ is missing, or if he simply chooses to ignore it. Either way, he doesn't address it and Viktor doesn't want to break his concentration by bringing it up. But Viktor's feeling of something happening never really disappears, even as the competition starts.

They warm up as the pairs' short program unfolds, and about an hour before they're up, JJ enters the room. And he looks, to put it kindly, unwell. Although he (or more likely Isabella) has very skillfully tried to cover most of it with makeup, JJ still looks ready to collapse. His eyes are unfocused, his skin whiter than Viktor remembers it and even his steps look heavier than usual. He turns a couple of eyes as he enters, and greets with a tired wave of his hand. Surprisingly, Yuuri immediately walks over to him, Viktor awkwardly following along since he's holding all of Yuuri's things.

"Do you have a fever?" Yuuri asks, voice full of concern for his friend.

"Ah," JJ says, probably trying to make it seem like he's okay. Viktor knows he would do the same. "It was worse this morning, but sleep is the best cure, right?"

"Are you sure you should be skating?"

"Trying to get rid of the competition, eh, Katsuki?" JJ forces a laugh, but his voice is rough and it sounds like he's straining his voice.

"Eh? Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, don't worry," JJ interjects quickly as Viktor gives him a silent warning, "I'll be fine. It's not too bad, and I'll probably be better tomorrow. I just want to make it to the Finals."

Yuuri looks like he has more to say, but he probably realizes that had he been in JJ's situation, had anyone been in JJ's situation, they'd still skate, so he backs off with a final 'good luck'.

"Drink ice water before you skate," Viktor says before he follows Yuuri, "It usually helps."

Even as they go back to their warm-up, the gloomy atmosphere still lingers.

The men's competition starts, and as the first group does fairly well, Viktor thinks that his bad feeling might just be that. A bad feeling.

For the second group's warm-up, JJ only does a triple axel and a single spin. The rest of the time he's merely stroking around the rink. Yuuri on the other hand tries for a number of jumps, but pops almost every quad he tries for. But, well, Yuuri is last to skate. A bad warm-up won't mean much. At least, that's what Viktor tells himself as Yuuri pops another quad.

Viktor half follows the competition from the warm-up area. It's mostly so that he can give Yuuri updates, when they sit in the Kiss & Cry, because Yuuri definitely won't follow the competition. There is a lot at stake in this competition. Yuuri, Phichit and JJ are all coming into this competition with a gold medal. Placing fourth or better would guarantee them a place in the Finals. And if all three of them could manage that feat, then Yurio would not make it to the Finals to defend his title. Both Leo and Guang-Hong would need a win to advance, but Leo is the defending champion and he tends to compete much better in early competitions than others. And if Guang-Hong could land a clean quad flip? Then he too could be in the running for a medal. There is a lot at stake and the tension fills the rink, and probably the heads of the skaters as well.

Of those with a chance at the Finals, Phichit starts out and it's a mess from start to finish. He starts by popping his triple axel into a double and that possibly takes him out of the whole program as he then falls on his triple lutz. His quad-triple combination then turns into a triple-double, and with the mistakes Phichit feels his components suffer as well. He barely makes it past seventy points.

Then Guang-Hong goes out and puts his hand down on his quad toe. Leo tries for a quad as well, but underrotates and falls. Neither makes it past ninety points.

For a person with a fever, JJ does quite well. It's clear that he has no intentions of even trying for a quad, but his triple are pretty good. The triple axel is a little shaky though, but he doesn't fall or pop, and really that's a win. He doesn't go over ninety though.

It's clear that Yuuri has absolutely no idea that everyone before him has had a… not so good time, because he looks like he's ready to murder. Which is probably a good thing. But Yuuri had of course promised him a clean short program in exchange for a new layout, so maybe that was what was driving him. And Yuuri delivers. The program is fierce, beautiful and clean, and Viktor momentarily forgets about everyone else as he watches Yuuri bewitch the audience.

"Tada~" Yuuri sings as he skates over to Viktor at the boards, "You owe me a new layout."

"No," Viktor reminds him, "You need to land the lutz first, and then we'll talk about it."

Yuuri pouts, but follows Viktor to the Kiss & Cry regardless. He does steal Makkachin though, and plays with the plushie as the monitor shows highlights from the program. He waves to the audience as the camera pans to them and Viktor gives him a quick kiss on the cheek to show his pride.

Yuuri gets a score of 112.30, although Viktor thinks that his components are a little low. But, well, it's not like it's going to matter much.

"First place," Yuuri smiles, again, clearly showing he has no idea what's going on, "How did the others do?"

Viktor contemplates how to tell him, "Well… I do believe that you are about twenty points ahead of second place."

And Yuuri stares at him blankly. If this was an anime, there would be question marks popping up over Yuuri's head, but as it stands, he just looks like a confused puppy.

"Is my English failing me or did you say twenty?"

"I think it's actually a lot more than that, but yeah, I said twenty." Viktor can see the gears turning in Yuuri's head as he tries to put the information together, ignoring the photographers trying to capture a moment that should be celebratory.

"Who's in second?"

"JJ actually," Viktor says, "Leo in third, Guang-Hong in fourth and Phichit in fifth."

Yuuri grows silent and the joy he felt upon hearing his score slowly fades away. As the photographers keep prodding, Yuuri eventually manages to put on a smile, but Viktor can see that it's not genuine. Viktor isn't entirely sure what's going on inside Yuuri's head. Pressure, expectations, a sense of loneliness, Viktor really has no clue, but he squeezes Yuuri's hand to show that he's right there when he needs him.

Viktor watches the press conference from the sidelines and takes note of the way Yuuri presents himself in front of the cameras.

"Katsuki-senshu," A Japanese reporter begins the Q&A segment, "With your lead over your competitors, it seems almost certain that you will win. Does you current standing change what you plan in the free skate? Will you take a risk and make the program more difficult, or will you ensure your victory by perhaps going with an easier layout?"

Yuuri doesn't hesitate: "My plans for the free skate remain unchanged," he begins, "Even if I was certain in my victory, which I am not since anything could happen, the fact remains that merely changing your program on a whim is unwise. I will be aiming to win with the program I set out to skate before the competition began."

The conference goes on with some questions aimed at JJ and how his illness - which Viktor now learns is a flu - is affecting his programs. As expected of JJ, he says that he will let nothing get in his way of making it to the Finals. However, most of the questions are directed at Leo. He gets asked about challenging a quad for the first time and the expectations that come with skating at home. Yuuri and JJ both look very happy about not being the center of attention.

* * *

"Do you think I'll win tomorrow,?" Yuuri asks. They're in bed, lights off, ready to sleep - in fact, Viktor was just about to fall asleep, when Yuuri had spoken.

"Of course," Viktor mumbles sleepily.

"Because of the point difference?"

"I always think you'll win, but it would help a lot of you went to sleep," Viktor yawns and snuggles a little closer to Yuuri, hoping that Yuuri will drop the topic and go to sleep. Yuuri does not drop it.

"But everyone just thinks that I'll win, because I have a big lead. I have a history of flubbing the free, you know."

Viktor sighs and opens his eyes. Not that he can see anything anyway. "It's just the media, Yuuri. If you win, they can write that it was a given even after the short program, and if you lose, then they have a great comeback story."

Viktor knows that Yuuri is pouting, and gently caresses his cheek before giving him a kiss. In the darkness it's hard to tell where exactly Yuuri's face is and he ends up kissing the tip of his nose instead of his lips, but he rolls with it. The gesture was there.

"Get some sleep, my love."

* * *

On the day of the free skate, JJ is still not well, but Viktor thinks he looks a little better than yesterday. Despite how far anyone is from catching Yuuri, it's like they're using the disappointment of yesterday as fuel for the free skate.

The first one of the top five is Phichit. He's skating a little earlier than he thought he would, since the skater before him ended up withdrawing mid-skate due to an ankle-injury. Viktor starts to think that the event really is cursed and silently prays Yuuri won't be a victim. Although… one look at him tells a different story. Viktor knows for a fact that Yuuri at least got some sleep - because Viktor woke up early and Yuuri was definitely asleep. Yuuri might have been able to fool Viktor once, but he knows his fiancé's better now. However, the fact remains that Yuuri seems slightly sleep deprived and somewhat unfocused, as he moves through a series of warm-ups. And as much as Viktor just wants to take him away and shelter him from the world, he has learned from his mistakes, so Viktor merely stands by him (and hisses at people who come to close).

Of course, Viktor has to follow the competition, and watches as Phichit gets into his program. Just like with the short, Phichit has kept his free skate from last season, which probably gives him a bit of a head start. If he can skate cleanly that is. Phichit starts off with a triple flip combination, and from then it's on. Phichit seems to have gotten over whatever was in his head the previous day, and focuses all his energy on entertaining the crowd. He falls on his last quad, but one mistake isn't enough to shake him, and he finishes the program strong. If not for the big point gap - not just between him and Yuuri, but the three others as well - Phichit would probably be guaranteed at least silver with that performance. For now, he's dependent on everyone else making mistakes to keep his spot at the podium.

Next up is Leo, who is skating to an original piece of music called Inner Love. With his own choreography, as well as music he has commissioned himself, the entire program is self-produced, personal and incredibly touching. The piece is extremely beautiful and shows off Leo's strengths in agility and musical interpretation, and not a single note is wasted. Once again, Leo tries for the quad and, this time, it's successful. With the exception of a hand down on a triple axel, Leo skates the program cleanly, and the applause is deafening. Even Yuuri seems to hear it through his, supposedly, noise cancelling earplugs (maybe Viktor should give him some new ones for his birthday). Leo's free skate score is not as high as Phichit's, but due to his fifteen point lead over him after the short, he still takes first place.

And it's one beautiful free skate after another. Guang-Hong skates to The Magic Flute in his free skate, and although he opens the program up by falling on the quad flip, he skates right into his quad combination and lands it. Although the angle the camera is showing isn't great, Viktor thinks the next quad is underrotated, but the program goes on without another mistake. The program is light, and flows beautifully between the elements, even if the transitions are on the easier side. It's clear that Guang-Hong feels much more at ease with his free skate this season than the last, and he makes sure to do that justice. Once again, Phichit's free skate score is still unbeaten, but the short program still holds him back. Guang-Hong goes into second place, and with only two skaters left, Leo is guaranteed a medal.

Viktor gestures to Yuuri that JJ is up next, so that he knows that there's about ten minutes left until he's up, and Yuuri starts doing his breathing exercises.

For his free skate, JJ skates to a selection of music from Romeo and Juliet. Due to his illness, the program is not quite as expressive as when he performed it in Canada, and he has wisely left both his quad lutz and loop out of the program, and merely performs the triples. He does, however, go for the quad toe - possibly because he knows that without at least one quad, he won't make it to the Finals - and he barely lands it. He struggles as he gets to his triple axel combination and puts his hand down, but pushes through to the second half. The second half is not nearly as successful as the first half. Although he doesn't fall, he pops two jumps and steps out of his triple flip. He also looks like he's about to faint all throughout the last minute, but he keeps going and finishes the program. But with the mistakes in the second half, and a lowered commitment due to illness, JJ can't even hold Phichit off, despite his advantage from the short, and takes fourth.

And then, Yuuri. Viktor doesn't really know what to say to him, so he takes Yuuri's hand and kisses it. Yuuri still looks a little out of it, but at least the gesture makes him smile. Viktor would like to kiss him some more if it would help, but the timer is running low and he gives Yuuri a gentle push to send him off.

Yuuri takes to his starting position in the center of the rink. His head is lowered, and his arms are crossed and stretched out in front of him, at a forty-five degree angle. Yuuri's costume has a black base, but around his waist, golden patterns begin to form and they rise over his chest, while the black underneath slowly turns red. When the music begins, Yuuri starts the motion at his fingertips, and he jerks his arms upwards, as if starting a wildfire. As Yuuri begins skating, he throws his arms wide open and his fingers move as if they were kindling fire. The uneasy look on his face is gone, and Vikor watches intensely as Yuuri goes for the quad lutz.

And Yuuri shows no hesitation as he lands it with a flair of his hands. Viktor jumps up in joy and cheers with the arena, and watches as Yuuri goes for the second quad. Which he doubles. Viktor finds himself cheering very loudly for Yuuri afterwards, trying to tell him that it's okay. He doesn't know if Yuuri hears him or not, but he flies into a sit spin with a speed Viktor isn't entirely sure Yuuri has ever shown before. There is an another quad coming up, and this one Yuuri lands. Viktor leaps up again and claps furiously as Yuuri moves onto the step sequence.

The step sequence Viktor has made for Yuuri is difficult, very difficult. It's made with Yuuri's abilities in mind, and Viktor knows for a fact that the finished product is something not even he can do. The sequence starts off somewhat simple and slow paced, but as the speed builds, the turns and twists get more complicated, and the fine edgework Yuuri possesses is necessary to make it work. There are moves performed on his toe-pick and there are moves performed on an insanely deep outside edge that Viktor most definitely fell on the first time he tried to demonstrate it for Yuuri. But he performs it beautifully, because he is Yuuri and the crowd gets more and more fired up.

Yuuri makes a small mistake on his triple loop, although it's nothing that really disturbs the program and when he goes straight into a triple axel combination, it's quickly forgotten. Then comes the triple flip, which Yuuri had a lot of problems with in the summer - after working intensely on the quad version, he began overrotating the triple which often lead to a bad fall. That particular jump was the reason why Yuuri would so often came home with a new bruises for Viktor to tend to. But he keeps the rotations tight and clean, and Viktor is starting to get a bit of a workout with how much he is jumping up and down on the sidelines.

Another triple axel for Yuuri as the program begins to reach its climax, and the music gets more intense. Although Yuuri doesn't skate faster, the performance is more powerful, and his movements are performed with force. The choreographic sequence is something Viktor and Yuuri change a little bit from competition to competition to keep it fresh and wild. It's nothing major, and Yuuri often finds different ways of interpreting this part of the program to accompany those changes. After all, the program is supposed to be like fire, and fire is always unpredictable and ever-changing.

With merely twenty second left of the program, Yuuri goes for the quad flip, and Viktor is surprised when he falls on it. It's probably the lack of sleep finally catching up to him, but he needs to finish the last spin before he can dwell on the mistake. The fall leads to Yuuri losing a little bit of speed in the spin, and Viktor supposes the grade of execution will be a little lower than what Yuuri is used to, but it should be enough for Yuuri to win and move onto to the Finals.

As Yuuri meets Viktor at the gate, he slumps against him and Viktor gives him a hug.

"I'm sorry," Yuuri says quietly enough for the cameras not to catch it.

"For what?"

"I messed up."

Viktor sighs but smiles as he guides Yuuri to the Kiss & Cry, "You did no such thing. This is a Grand Prix qualifier. You are here to make it the Finals, not to break records."

"I haven't made a mistake on the flip since last year's Finals," Yuuri protests. It's like he wants Viktor to scold him. Which he probably will later, but not for the flip.

"Better make the mistake now than later, right?" Viktor smiles, and the camera turns to them.

When Yuuri gets his score, he goes a little over the 300 mark.

"See?" Viktor says, "How is that bad?"

"I was second in the free," Yuuri says and Viktor looks at the scores again. Yuuri is right. He didn't have the highest free skate of the night.

"Phichit made quite the comeback," Viktor responds thoughtfully, "You should watch his free skate when we get back to the hotel."

A small smile appears on Yuuri's face. "Phichit won the free? Wow. That makes me happy. Where did he place?"

"Fourth," Viktor says, "Enough for the Finals though."

"And JJ,?" Yuuri quickly asks, because the last spot would then be between him and Yurio.

"Fifth," Viktor says, "Unfortunate for him, and lucky for Yurio. He couldn't have caught a flu at a worse time."

"This isn't the Olympics," Yuuri remarks and Viktor laughs.

"You're right. This isn't the Olympics."

* * *

So with Yuuri at the top of the podium, Leo on his right and Guang-Hong at his left, the six finalists are found: Yuuri, as the top qualifier, the only skater to have won both his assignments and the holder of the highest scoring short program of the season. Chris, with a gold from France. Viktor with a gold from Japan. Seung-gil with his two silvers. Phichit with a gold from China as well as the best free skate and total score of the season. And finally, the defending champion, Yuri, who just passed by with a silver and a bronze.

The Grand Prix Final is only two short weeks away, and it takes place in Nagoya, Japan.

* * *

 **1) How much did I trick you guys by having a Skate America shout-out in the last chapter, and then still making this Skate America cursed? I'm evil, I know. And I'm so sorry for JJ. I love him, but I had to cut someone.**

 **2) This is also the chapter which _The Tracklist of Friendship_ is based on for those of you who want to read more about Phichit's gift and the stories behind it. The piece is still in-progress, but I'd like to have the third chapter up before the end of the year :)**

 **3) Programs!**

 **Leo's free is inspired by Jason Brown's Inner Love. The piece is an original one, which is why I just linked to Jason's free skate in the text, because you can't find it anywhere.**

 **Guang-Hong's free skate is inspired by Satoko Miyahara's The Magic Flute. I went through a lot of skaters, before I was like SATTON! And I decided to go with a slightly early skate of hers, because GH is not quite at her level yet.**

 **Phichit's free skate is once again re-used because THE KING & THE SKATER**

 **Yuuri's free skate is inspired by Tatsuki Machida's Firebird.**

 **JJ's free skate is inspired by Yuzuru Hanyu's Romeo and Juliet (Version One). Now, hear me out. I have a reason for using Yuzu. First off, in YoI, Yuzu's cameo is him doing the JJ Style pose on he cover of Ice Jewels. Second, there is a striking resemblence between JJ's sp costume and Yuzu's purple lgc costume. Third, JJ performs some of Yuzu's signature moves such as the hydroblade and the Yuzu spin (this might have another name, but idk?), so I thought it was only fitting to give JJ a yuzu program. And so I gave him one of my faves. After H &L and Seimei, this is my fave Yuzu free skate.**

 **5) So we knows who's in the Finals, but I'll just put up the top three scores here, so that you all can have a sense of where everyone is standing:**  
 **SP: Yuuri, 112.30 (America), Viktor, 111.90 (China) & Seung-gil, 106.07 (NHK)**  
 **FS: Phichit, 203.62 (China), Chris, 202.81 (France) & Chris, 200.54 (China)**  
 **Total: Phichit, 306.10 (China), Chris, 305.80 (China) & Viktor, 305.57 (China)**

 **Wow, China was a good comp, wasn't it? And Chris is the only one to appear more than twice. Wow! So exciting! Who are you guys rooting for in the Finals? And who do you think will win? I'm very interested in hearing your thoughts :D**


	13. Grand Prix Final: Short Program

**Fact of the chapter: Skating clean programs back to back is extremely rare. At the PyeongChang Olympics none of the Top 10 men managed to do so.**

* * *

"I'm scared," Yuuri says, refusing to leave the blanket cocoon he has made for himself on the couch. It's very cozy.

"No~ Yuuri~" Viktor whines, "I promise it will be good. Trust me!"

"Last time you said 'trust me' like that you nearly killed us." Yuuri will never let Viktor drive motorcycle ever again.

"You're overreacting. We would not have died… probably… But this isn't like that! I promise this will be good."

"Why can't I choose where we eat," Yuuri protests, "It's my birthday. Isn't my wishes the most important?"

"They are, but you were the one who started the bet, which you lost fair and square. Besides, I made reservations last week, so we have to show up."

"I mean, we don't _have_ to."

"Yes, we do. Now come on," Viktor says and starts dragging Yuuri out of his blanket cocoon. Yuuri gets up from the couch, but drags the blanket with him. He will probably end up doing what Viktor wants, but he won't make it easy for him.

"Now what should we wear," Viktor begins to ponder as he drags Yuuri into their bedroom, "It's not a very fancy place, so formal wear isn't required… but it is your birthday. We would want to look nice."

"Do we?" Yuuri says, remaking his cocoon as he gets settled on the bed. Viktor quite enjoys dressing him up, so he'll just let him pick for the both of them. Despite how hard of a time Yuuri is giving Viktor right now, the day has actually be very nice.

Viktor woke him up with breakfast in bed - which actually isn't that much a rarity, but it's still just as nice - and served him pancakes with fruits and nutella. There was also a cupcake made by Viktor, although it did contain all the sugar and butter he normally didn't allow Yuuri to have during the season. It had been heavenly. Viktor had then given him (the first batch of) presents. Yuuri had been really adamant about Viktor not giving him too much, because there were very few things he actually wished for, but Viktor had found a way around everything. The first thing Yuuri got wasn't from Viktor but from everyone in Hasetsu. There were letters from his parents, Mari, Minako-sensei and the Nishigoris. There was a katsumori (a charm for success) from his parents, an old video game from Mari which they used to play together, tickets to the ballet from Mari (for a show in Saint Petersburg in early January) and a banner from the Nishigoris, which was the usual _Katsuki Yuuri_ banner, but with good luck messages written all over it from the people in Hasetsu. It made Yuuri cry.

Viktor had given him a pair of noise cancelling headphones, because the ones he were currently using weren't all that effective. Apparently he had more gifts for him, but he'd give them to Yuuri later in the day. Yuuri could only sigh, because, really, Viktor already spoiled him enough as it were.

"I'm guessing you don't want to wear a suit?" Viktor asks, although Yuuri doesn't answer. Viktor should know that he's not in a suit and tie mood today. He'd honestly be perfectly fine with walking into the restaurant wearing a onesie. Speaking of onesies, they should have quite a selection somewhere due to that commercial they did in the summer. Maybe Yuuri should jump into one of those later.

"Hmm~ How about this?" Viktor asks and holds up a navy blue, long-sleeved shirt, which Yuuri knows is incredibly soft, "A pair of black jeans, those new shoes I got you last month and then just a little bit of product in your hair, then you'll look super handsome and still be comfy." Viktor smiles brightly as he keeps holding up the shirt, waiting for Yuuri to approve.

"What will you wear then?" Yuuri asks, because while Viktor definitely wants to make something of himself, he also really likes when they have - at least somewhat - matching outfits.

Viktor puts his head back into the wardrobe and digs around a little before he pulls out a new shirt. This one is white, long-sleeved, and with a simple pattern texturing it, "It's not the same brand, although it's still very soft. It's a little bit plain, but unlike you, I know how to use mascara."

"I don't see what mascara has to do with your choice of shirt, but sure, this will look nice."

"Silly Yuuri. There is a world of difference between me wearing this shirt with and without mascara, and I do not intend to show you the non-mascara option."

Viktor finds the rest of their outfits in the wardrobe and has Yuuri change for their surprise dinner.

"I'm still scared," Yuuri says as the get into the cab.

"You're making it seem like I'm kidnapping you!" Viktor protests and clings to his arm, "I promise you won't hate it."

Yuuri squints at Viktor. "I won't hate it, but I might not like it? I don't trust this."

"Yuuri~" Viktor whines, "Trust me~"

Yuuri sighs. _Sure, he'll trust Viktor._

The cab stops outside a restaurant Yuuri doesn't recognize. The sign is red and in Russian, and Yuuri doesn't understand the words, which makes him trust it even less. And Viktor just smiles as he guides Yuuri inside.

Yuuri has to admit, it smells pretty nice in here. The smell is quite reminiscent of that one Thai place, he and Phichit used to visit that was an hour's drive away. Yuuri hopes the food here is just as good. As he looks around, he sees that despite the vast amount of tables, there aren't many people. Yuuri, at first, takes that as a bad sign, but he has to remind himself that it's a Wednesday night and people mostly go out on the weekends.

There are wooden chairs and tables, and brick walls decorated with a couple of abstract art paintings. The amount of tables that are set for four people make Yuuri think that this is a family restaurant, which means that this really can't be that bad. No parent could convince their child to eat pig brain or cow hearts.

They are guided to their table, which is nice and remote from most of the other customers, and Yuuri is glad to be handed and English menu.

"Thought it would be better than a Russian one," Viktor comments, and Yuuri opens the menu to see what kind of place Viktor has taken him to. It's not exactly what he had expected.

"Ne, Viktor," Yuuri says slowly as he reads through the menu, "Why does most of these dishes contain ghost peppers?"

Viktor smiles innocently at him, "Because it's their theme. Oh look, they also have one with the carolina reaper. Wanna try it?"

Yuuri sighs and places his head in his hands. "I can't believe you took me to chili place. I'm not good with spicy food."

"But you enjoyed our Valentine's meal!" Viktor protests, because, yes, Yuuri had enjoyed that very much despite the fact that his mouth had died a number of times.

"Is that why you wanted to go here?" Yuuri suddenly realizes, and Viktor's bright smile gives away the answer. Yuuri cannot believe he's about to eat ghost peppers, because he's in love with Viktor Nikiforov.

So Yuuri gets the dish that sounds the least deathly (even though it literally has the word _death_ in it), while Viktor is insane enough to go for what sounds like the spiciest dish on the the planet (that one had contained the words _instant death_ ). Yuuri is not surprised that the restaurant gives out free milk, which is refilled as soon as they empty their glass.

Despite how much his own meal actually scares him, it looks incredibly appetizing and it smells wonderful as well. And it doesn't have literal ghost peppers sticking out of it like he had imagined in his head.

"You should take the first bite," Yuuri says as he hesitates tasting his food, "It's only fair."

Viktor puts on a small pout, "We should eat together."

"No."

"Fine," Viktor gives in pretty quickly and takes a spoonful of his surprisingly vibrant red curry (which contains literal carolina reapers). Yuuri is surprised that Viktor doesn't immediately reach for his milk. Or the glass of wine he also has.

"Doesn't it burn?" Yuuri asks confused, and takes a bite of his food, because if Viktor isn't dying from his food, then how could Yuuri's be bad? But it burns. It burns a lot. Yuuri downs his milk, and then reaches for Viktor's glass as well. As he drinks, he hears Viktor laugh, and gets suspicious. "If this is a prank, Viktor, I swear to god, I will kill you."

Viktor continues laughing, tears forming in the corner of his eyes, "I swear, it's not a prank, but I knew if I acted like it wasn't hot you'd take a bigger mouthful."

"How did you even keep a straight face?"

"With great difficulty, my love, but it's good right?"

Yuuri hates that he can't lie, "... yes."

Yuuri's dish isn't actually as hot as the one they had in Korea, and after a couple of bites, he gets accustomed to it. Or, rather, he no longer needs milk after _every_ bite. Since Viktor seems to not find his incredibly hot either, Yuuri does at some point taste a bit of it. Yuuri counts that as the biggest mistake of his life.

At some point they finish their dish and order some cooling ice cream - which is entirely chilli free - and Viktor gives Yuuri another present.

"Here," Viktor says and hands him the headphones he'd given him that morning, which Yuuri had not seen that he had brought with him, "Wear these."

Yuuri puts them in, the sounds around him disappearing completely. The headphones are wireless, and currently connected to Viktor's phone, so Yuuri assumes that he's going to listen to a song, a piano piece Viktor has played, or maybe even something as ridiculous as Viktor reciting a poem. With Viktor there was really no way of knowing.

The piece does start with a piano playing. It's slow, and kind of romantic. Then, a voice. The song is in Japanese and performed by someone Yuuri isn't familiar with, but it becomes clear to Yuuri that this is a song written for him.

 _Have you realized?_ _That you have power in your hands_ _Courage will become light_ _It's alright even if you're not ready_ _You can still fight_ _The seed that you hold in your chest_ _Will someday bloom dreams, for sure_

 _Don't lose_ _Now, in time_ _Everyone looks for the future_ _It's alright to be wounded_ _It's alright to make mistakes_ _Stand up no matter how many times you have to fall_ _Just one thing_ _Reach out your hand to the future_ _Like the flowers that bloom upright_ _Everyone can be strong_ _So can you_

Yuuri really tries to fight the tears, he really does. They're in public after all. He still cries though, and he can't believe Viktor did this to him in public.

"You knew I would cry," he says through the tears, "Why didn't you wait?"

"That's a secret," Viktor smiles, and Yuuri thinks he's just being mean now.

"Did you commision this?" Yuuri says through his sobs. A waiter has kindly provided him with a pack of tissues.

"I made it," Viktor smiles, and Yuuri looks at him, needing an explanation, "I wrote the music first, and then I added the lyrics. I had a little help from Mari though. Just to make sure that I didn't make any mistakes. The trickiest part was finding a singer, but apparently Minako has connections, so it worked out pretty well."

"Can I..." Yuuri begins, "Can I use it for my exhibition?"

Viktor smiles: "I'd love that."

* * *

Viktor smiles a lot on the way home. It's not unusual for Viktor to smile a lot, especially not on a day like this, but Yuuri feels like the surprises aren't over yet. He tries to ask, but Viktor just says that he's _happy_ and _in love_ and _the luckiest person alive_ , so that's useless.

As they get home, Viktor's smile gets even bigger and Yuuri takes a second to just look at him. Viktor just giggles as he unlocks the door. The second thing Yuuri sees - second because the first is Makkachin assaulting him - is that there is something big in the middle of the living room that was definitely not there when they left. Curious as to what is occupying their living room, Yuuri turns on the light. And right in front of him stands an outfit on display. The design resembles a kimono. It's white with pink cherry blossoms blooming from the heart and spreading out over the white, growing further apart the longer they are from the center, like flowers scattered in the wind. The sash around the kimono is golden and tight around the waist. Accompanying it is a black pair of standard figure skating pants giving away that this is a costume meant for a performance.

"It's for your exhibition," Viktor says as he comes up behind him, and wraps his arms around Yuuri's waist, "Do you like it?"

"That's why I got the song when we were out..." Yuuri slowly realizes, "Did you know I would use it for an exhibition?"

"Of course," Viktor says sweetly, "I know you very well."

"Do you have choreography as well?"

"I thought we could make that together," Viktor says and Yuuri turns around in his arms.

"Together?"

Viktor smiles and gives him a kiss. "Didn't you want to choreograph a program at some point? What better place to start than with an exhibition piece. And don't worry, I'll help you."

Yuuri leans up for another kiss.

Even though Yuuri spends a lot of time admiring his new costume, he does notice the paper bag on the kitchen counter. When curiosity overtakes him, he walks up to it and finds a small note with his name on it… and some catwhiskers. Yurio must have been the one to bring the costume. The paper bag contains Yurio's (now signature) katsudon piroshki. The same thing Yuuri got from his last year - although this time made by the kitten himself rather than his grandfather. Even though he's still full after their dinner, Yuuri makes Viktor share one with him. It's the perfect way to end his birthday.

* * *

Working on the new exhibition is surprisingly calming. Yuuri had had one of his worst panic attacks soon after Skate America, as he had become the overwhelming favorite for the Finals. He was the world champion and he had been the only one to win both of his qualifiers. Yuuri had been trying to find some replays of the event - mostly to watch Phichit's spectacular free skate - yet all his results had been articles about how he had practically already won the Finals. It had not taken Viktor long to throw Yuuri's phone across the room to keep him from spiralling further down.

Yuuri had been on edge ever since, and he was beginning to regret his decision to bring the quad lutz into the short program. As Viktor had said, mistakes in the short program were much more costly than in the free, and he had landed the lutz exactly one time out of three attempts. The odds were against him.

The exhibition gave him something else to focus on.

Having Viktor depend on Yuuri for most of the choreography lets his mind focus solely on that. Any creative input he could give is important, because choreographing your first piece is a big challenge. Apparently Viktor had come to Yakov with countless of ideas before he had even gotten one approved for an exhibition. This wouldn't be the case with Yuuri, because he had Viktor to guide him and tell him what would and wouldn't work. But Viktor was generally very passive about the whole thing. He stepped in when Yuuri started thinking about it more as a competitive piece rather than something to express himself with, and he gave advice about how to turn his ideas into skating. To see the program slowly take form made Yuuri extremely happy.

* * *

"Are you ready for the Finals?" Viktor asks the day before they're leaving for Japan. Makkachin is already asleep at the foot of the bed, and Yuuri feels ready to sleep as well.

"Yeah," Yuuri says and leans into Viktor, "Jumps are good."

Viktor sighs, "That's not what I meant," he intertwines their hands, "At Skate America, you didn't deal too well with being first after the short. It's not the first time, I know, but you're coming into the Finals with much more pressure than the last two times. I just need to know if you're prepared for that, and what you need me to do." Viktor smiles, "I'd be totally prepared to start a fistfight with all the journalists if you don't want to get interviewed."

Yuuri giggles lightly at the image of Viktor starting a fight. He can't imagine him winning.

"I was just… shocked by the point difference. I like winning, but I don't deal well with being the favorite. I thought I was getting better though..." Yuuri trails off. It's hard admitting that he's not making the progress he had been telling himself he had been making.

"You are," Viktor says firmly, not letting Yuuri doubt his words, "You're the world champion, and you handled that so well. You've won three competitions this season. Don't you think that's worth something?"

"They weren't big competitions..." Yuuri says slowly. It's not like he won three world championships in a row, unlike some skaters he could think of.

"No. Yuuri. You can't think like that." Viktor cuts in, perhaps a little harsh in his words, but he probably know from experience that Yuuri won't listen otherwise, "You're the only one who's won everything this season. And didn't you beat Phichit this season? Twice? Phichit who beat both me and Chris, when both of us scored over 300 points. You're allowed to be nervous. You're allowed to be anxious. But don't dismiss your accomplishments. And don't think you haven't made progress. There's no reason for you to think you're not making progress just because you get nervous."

"But you asked if I felt ready," Yuuri interjects, raising his voice slightly as he begins to feel distraught "You expected me to be anxious. How is that progress?"

"Yuuri. You have anxiety. You know as well as me that that doesn't magically go away. I asked because I needed you to be prepared for the pressure. I'm not saying you shouldn't get nervous. I'm saying you shouldn't feel dejected if you do, and that I'm here to make it all a little easier."

Yuuri turns his head to look at Viktor. He's smiling. Sweetly. Kindly. Yuuri turns around to hug him and whispers into the crook of his neck: "Thank you."

* * *

They arrive in Nagoya, and Viktor does an excellent job of fending of journalists. Yuuri will give an interview at some point, but for now they need to give him space. Of course Yakov, who has three skaters at the Finals including Viktor, is not happy to see one of his top students ignoring the reporters. Viktor merely ignores Yakov as well.

They soon arrive at the hotel and they have some time before the first practice is scheduled. They use that time to make a schedule of the day. At first, the idea had been to make a plan before they arrived in Japan, but because their plans would change greatly depending on Yuuri's anxiety levels and Viktor's stress levels, they decided to just plan from day to day. Yuuri was up for a short media appearance later, while Viktor decided to merely use social media to communicate. His schedule was simply too packed for him to give a proper interview.

As they arrive at the rink, the only one who isn't there is Yurio - who had undoubtedly been stuck at the airport for so long that he might have only just made it to the hotel. He was the reigning champion after all, so it was no wonder that everyone wanted to interview him.

"Yuuri!" Phichit exclaims the moment they arrive at the rink, and the beaming smile on his face is something Yuuri has missed (even though it's only been two weeks since they last saw each other). He opens up his arms, allowing Phichit to hug him. His best friend jumps into his arms.

"Don't hold onto him all day," Viktor teases as he puts down the makkachin plushie, Yuuri's water bottle and his thermos filled with green tea on the barrier. He'll be watching over Yuuri's practice until Yakov shows up. At that point Yuuri will make a decision as to whether or not he wants to keep skating or go back to the hotel. Maybe he'll hang out with Phichit who can't seem to let go of Yuuri.

"You have the privilege of getting Yuuri-hugs whenever you want!" Phichit protests clinging onto Yuuri, his feet no longer touching the ground as Yuuri hugs him (more like carries him), "I will treasure this Yuuri-hug forever."

"I can still skate," Yuuri smiles and he promptly skates onto the ice, Phichit hanging onto him laughing as he twirls around near the barrier to avoid colliding with Seung-gil and Chris who are in the middle of practice.

"Do you two not know how to take things seriously?" Celestino's voice booms, and Yuuri turns to look at him. He's now standing beside Viktor who seems much less concerned about them playing around than Celestino does.

"You're such a party pooper!" Phichit pouts, but makes no move to let go of Yuuri, "I haven't seen Yuuri in _years-_ "

"You saw him less than two weeks ago."

"And you're trying to break up our special moment?"

"You're hugging a friend, not reuniting with a long lost lover."

"Excuse me? This is my best friend, and I love him more than Viktor does."

"Not true," Viktor intervenes, although he's still smiling. The two of them have had their fair share of twitter wars over a number of Yuuri related topics. The latest one having been about which one of them could make Yuuri the happiest just through food.

"Okay, but Yuuri loves me the most. Right Yuuri?"

Yuuri smiles. It's fun having them compete over him, but he can't choose: "I love you both in different ways. Can't compare them."

"See Celestino? Yuuri loves me! How many people does Yuuri say that he loves out loud? Only me… and maybe Viktor."

Celestino sighs, "Two more minutes or you will regret it." He walks away. Probably to get a cup of coffee. Maybe two cups.

"Yuuri. Yuuri. I have something for you," Phichit says enthusiastically and Yuuri finally lets him down so that Phichit can drag him to his skate bag, where he pulls something out, "Happy birthday!" Phichit beams as he hand Yuuri the gift wrapped in blue paper, with a little paw-shaped note hanging off of it.

"You shouldn't have..." Yuuri says as he takes the gift.

"Nonsense, Yuuri. But I'm not as rich as Viktor, so don't expect that to be a trip to Hawaii or something."

Yuuri laughs, "I mean, Viktor gave me a song, so..."

"Viktor gave you a song?" Phichit exclaims, and then throws Viktor a dirty look. It makes Yuuri curious as he opens the gift.

The gift is a CD. But not just any CD, no, as Yuuri turns it over to look at the track list, he knows Phichit put this together. It's all the songs that have some sort of special meaning in their friendship (and that includes Phichit's favorite song from _The King and The Skater_ ).

"Riverside?" Viktor reads the first track out loud, as he looks over Yuuri's shoulder.

"Oh! That's a good story!" Phichit beams, and Viktor looks up because he's naturally curious, "When I first came to Detroit, Celestino called in one of his choreographers and asked her to do an exhibition for me, but Celestino didn't specify that _I_ was the one who was going to use the program. So she thought the program was for Yuuri. When she then came to work with us, we didn't know who should get the program, me or Yuuri. So in the end we both practiced it and used it for our exhibition. People didn't really seem to notice because I was a junior at the time, but it really bonded us."

"So you had the exact same program?" Viktor asks, slightly perplexed.

"Kind of," Yuuri elaborates, "We both had our own version of it, but the choreography was pretty much the same."

Viktor gets a look on his face. Yuuri knows the first chance he gets, he's going to look up those exhibitions. He's probably already watched Yuuri's _Riverside,_ but Phichit's? Yuuri doubts Viktor has watched much from Phichit's junior days, let alone an exhibition piece.

Viktor would probably ask about the story behind every single song on the CD, but before long Celestino comes back and practice resumes.

After about an hour and a half, Yurio and Yakov arrive at the rink, and Viktor starts lacing up his skates. Yuuri feels like he's practiced hard enough and gets ready to leave. As do everyone else, leaving the Russians by themselves.

As the four skaters leave, the journalists seem ready to jump at them. Since Yuuri doesn't want to give an interview right at this moment, he tries his best to walk in the shadow of the other three. As he walks behind them, both Chris and Seung-gil (surprisingly) hand him some gifts. Chris' is worryingly large and with all the other stuff Yuuri is carrying with him, he can hardly fit it in his bag. Seung-gil's is small enough for him to put in his pocket. He quickly thanks them as he practically sprints out of the rink.

Yuuri only manages to get through a shower and half of the new posts on instagram, when Phichit knocks on his door.

"Did you open the other presents yet?" Phichit asks as he settles on the bed.

"No," Yuuri answers, and Phichit quickly finds them and hands them to Yuuri, smiling expectantly.

Yuuri opens the one from Seung-gil first (because Chris' could be anything from cute to R rated), and he gets a keychain with a husky on it.

"Cute!" They say in unison, and Yuuri finds his keys to add the charm to it. At this point Yuuri has more charms than keys. He probably have a wider range of dog breeds as charms than keys as well.

Yuuri approaches Chris' gift with caution. Under the wrapping paper is a black plastic bag, which means that this, without a doubt, is sex-related.

"What do you think it is?" Phichit asks, and they silently decided to make a game of it.

"Hmm~ Flavoured condoms may be too boring, but it can't be too out there… probably."

"Well, Viktor probably tells him all sorts of things, so maybe this would play into one of Viktor's fantasies? Dog roleplaying." Phichit seems weirdly confident in his guess.

"I really hope you're wrong… but you're right about Viktor. He's probably told Chris all his dirty fantasies. Handcuffs?"

"Or maybe just all of the above," Phichit suggests. Yuuri laughs. When Chris came to visit over the summer, he gave them matching mugs (which were now their favorite mugs), but sometimes he did things like this that sometimes seemed like he was trying to keep up a brand. Although Yuuri knew that he loved messing with them - and by 'them' Yuuri meant everyone.

Yuuri opens the black bag and pulls out its contents.

"Oh my God... " Phichit says slowly and then starts giggling, "Is that edible underwear?" It is edible underwear. Yuuri finds a note inside the bag too, wishing him and Viktor a happy anniversary.

"Oh yeah, on the day of the short program you will have been engaged for a year," Phichit realizes and then he wiggles his eyebrows.

"Phichit. We've had this conversation before. Not during a competition."

"Even if it's your anniversary?"

"Yes."

"Boo, Yuuri! Boo!"

* * *

The night before the short program is nothing like last year. No one gets engaged, and there is no fairy-kidnapping trending on social media. They do keep up the tradition (if it can even be called that when it's only the second time they do it) of having all the skaters eat together, although Seung-gil was hard to convince. They end the night early to both prepare for tomorrow, but also because someone (Viktor) was close to falling asleep in the restaurant (he had been very busy all week). It's still a nice evening though, and Yuuri goes to sleep before the nerves hit him.

* * *

The morning of the short program flies by, and Yuuri even feels up for giving a short interview before they enter the rink in preparation for the competition. They have to go through the junior competition before they're up, but since the amount of skaters in the Finals is quite small, it all goes by very quickly. To keep himself focused, Yuuri pulls out his new headphones and uses them for the first time since his birthday.

And they are amazing. Even moreso than Yuuri realized as he used them the first time. Not only do they block out all the surrounding noise, but Yuuri can hear notes of the music he's playing that he couldn't hear before. He's playing his short program on loop, and he gets so caught up in listening to it, that even as he follows the competition through the monitor, the nerves never hit him.

They skate in the order they qualified, so Yuuri is last, while Yurio opens the men's event. And Yurio is on fire. Although he's been careful to not overdo it and tries to pace his body for the Olympics, it's clear that he wants to defend his title. He lands his opening quad loop, and it's definitely the best he's ever landed it in competition. The quad salchow-triple loop combination is great as well, and with his quads out of the way, Yuuri begins to show some his performance skills that have only improved which each showing of the program. Although Yuuri cannot hear it, he's seen Yurio skate this program so many times that he knows he's hitting every note of the music. It's a great performance that Yuuri can't wait to watch back when he no longer has his own skate to worry about.

Yurio hits the triple axel, and with that he secures a clean program. The following step sequence and final spin is much refined compared to what he did at the NHK trophy, where he also landed all his jumps, but only got a level three on his last two elements. Yuuri doesn't think that will happen again, and with the added performance, this is bound to be a season's best. Yurio scores 108.15 points, taking him into first where he might stay for a while. Unless Phichit skates himself a new personal best. And with the roll that he's on, Yuuri wouldn't put it past him.

Phichit is the only of the finalists who only has one quad in his short program, and although that puts him at a disadvantage, his components can rival Yuuri's on a good day. All he needs is a clean skate. And damn if Phichit isn't up for the challenge. His opening triple axel is huge. So huge in fact, Yuuri almost expects him to lose control of it. He doesn't though and goes onto hitting an amazing triple lutz that receives a perfect GoE. And although Yurio's program was amazing, there is a visible difference in maturity and interpretation when compared to Phichit.

The quad-triple combination in the second half of the program is a crucial part of his performance, and Yuuri almost cheers when he lands it perfectly. It's another clean program, and Phichit throws his fist in the air as he ends the performance. It's a shame that he only has one quad, because despite having higher components that Yurio, he takes second with a score of 105.02. But Phichit seems happy enough as he celebrates another personal best set at the Grand Prix Final.

Seung-gil goes next and just before he starts, Viktor signals to Yuuri that he'll be getting ready soon. They share a hug before Viktor laces up his skates and starts preparing.

Yuuri isn't yet too familiar with Seung-gil's music as he has mostly watched the beginning of his performances over Viktor's shoulder, as his fiancé studied the quad loop. A quad loop which Seung-gil lands so perfectly that Yuuri doesn't even think he could do the same thing on a triple. When the score reveals that he received plus threes across the board, Yuuri is not only unsurprised, but also aware that Viktor will download the program to his phone, tablet, and laptop to watch until his eyes bleed. It's the first time a quad loop has gotten a perfect score after all.

Yuuri also takes a moment to appreciate the great camera work, as Seung-gil points his finger gun right at the audience and camera. With the serious look on Seung-gil's face, it really makes it seem like he just shot you dead. And as if there is a magic spell at work, Seung-gil lands both his quad-triple combination, and his triple axel to secure the third clean performance of the night. He falls behind both Phichit and Yurio on components, but overtakes Phichit with a score of 106.60 to go into second.

Yuuri takes off his headphones for Viktor's performance. He almost startles himself with all the sudden noises around him, but he wants to watch Viktor perform. He has yet to have a chance at seeing this program in person, and, even now, he's watching through a screen, but at least he knows Viktor is close by as he performs his short program.

Because Viktor has no chill, and always wants to do something different, he has painted his nails. It's a very subtle white nail polish, only noticeable when the camera zooms in on his hands in his opening position, but on the finger where Viktor wears his ring, the nail is painted in the same blue as his costume. Yuuri is sure that all his fans are making theories and wild interpretations that he will read through later. He's a Viktor-fan after all.

The program starts as Viktor removes the hand covering his face at the first note of the music, and Yuuri is reminded once again how much he loves this program. It's so personal that even people who don't know Viktor will have their soul touched. In Viktor's absence after Cup of China, Yuuri had watched the performance with as many different commentators as he could find, and at least half of them had started crying during the program. One Russian commentator had even had to turn off her microphone because of how much she was sobbing. Yuuri tries his best not to cry this time around, but he's sure that if he had already skated, he most certainly would be crying a river.

There is a grace in Viktor's movements and a fluidity between each and every element of his program, which Yuuri could only wish he would one day possess. At no point in the program does Viktor make it clear that he's setting up for a jump or is about to enter a spin. He just does it. He just skates and suddenly flies into a quad like it was as easy as crossover. Everything is connected.

One of Yuuri's favorite things about this program is how Viktor has put his step sequence as his last element. It is very common for skaters to end their program with a spin, but Viktor is not every other skater. He is Viktor Nikiforov, and although Yuuri is ready to kick his ass, Viktor will always be the best skater of this generation. The best skater ever. And Yuuri feels his heart swell as the first notes of Eros ends Viktor's program. And with a score of 114.23, Viktor takes the lead.

After Viktor's score is announced, Yuuri puts his headphones back in and calms himself down, as he laces up his skates, following Chris' program out of the corner of his eye. He takes a second to watch Chris' land his quad lutz. He's been watching Chris perform that jump a lot lately, since his lutz is still the best in the business (even if JJ is slowly improving his enough to rival it on a good day).

After having laced his skates, Yuuri looks up just in time to watch Chris lands his combination, but he will have to miss a bit to meet Viktor by the rink side. With his headphone still in, he meets Viktor and receives a hug. The headphones really prove their worth when Chris lands his triple axel and he can't hear the audience applaud at all.

As Chris ends the program and the gifts start raining down, Yuuri takes a plushie to the head. It doesn't hurt (since it's a plushie), but it startles him a bit, and it definitely makes Viktor worried. Yuuri giggles a little as he looks at Viktor who's trying to make sure Yuuri isn't hurt. Yuuri merely picks up the red heart plush and throws it onto the ice.

Yuuri hands over his headphones to Viktor as he goes through a light warm up. Chris is sitting in the Kiss & Cry waiting for his scores, and Yuuri sees as Chris blows a kiss his way and then gives a thumbs up. It's probably his way of encouraging him and Yuuri sends him a smile. He skates up to Viktor as the score is announced. 111.27. Chris takes second behind Viktor. The standings are ridiculously familiar.

Viktor takes Yuuri's hand and kisses the ring. Part of Yuuri thinks it's a response to Chris blowing a kiss (like Viktor is marking his territory), but it's a sweet gesture nonetheless. "You'll be great," Viktor says, and lets go of Yuuri's hand when his name is called.

"Watch me," Yuuri whispers and pushes off of the boards.

Yuuri takes center ice, and the music begins. Tranquility overtakes Yuuri as the first notes play. Since the music from the loudspeakers in the rink don't reflect the music as well as in his new and amazing headphones, Yuuri ends up imagining the music in his head. It's like he's filling in the blanks in the music, and he tries to express it with a few added nuances in the program. He gets so caught up in interpreting the music, that as his body moves through the choreography by itself and he almost doesn't realize as he jumps the opening triple axel.

He lets the music flow through him, and expresses the music the audience can't hear. He isn't changing the program, he's merely adding small movements. Like a flick of his wrist, a somber look in his eyes or a turn of his head. All small details to let the audience know that they can't really hear the music. Not unless they watch him closely. He will perform the music for them.

He transitions easily into his quad flip-triple toe combination in the second half, and he almost wishes that the audience would stop applauding and just pay attention. He regains their focus with the new added element. The quad lutz. As he lands it, there is a moment of silence as the audience process the surprise, and Yuuri doesn't give them a chance to applaud him too loudly as he moves into the step sequence. This is where he shines the most. This is where he puts a spell on the audience, the judges, his fellow competitors and Viktor who stands just where Yuuri is headed towards. He makes it close enough to make eye contact with him, sees the shimmer in Viktor's eyes and accelerates into the final part of the sequence until he closes the program with a spin.

As the last note plays, Yuuri close his hands, like a conductor ending a concert and he silences the rink with it.

Viktor is the first to clap and the rest follow. Yuuri bows, and sees as the rink fills with Japanese flags and gifts of all kinds. He feels proud to be known as Japan's ace. He picks up a plushie of Viktor on his way to the barrier and lets the real Viktor envelop him in a hug.

"If that's not a world record, then the judges need to be fired. That was beautiful, Yuuri."

"Let's see the scores before you deem the judges incompetent," Yuuri smiles as they walk to the Kiss & Cry.

"It's only if you don't break a world record. They are plenty capable as long as they give you the score you deserve."

Yuuri takes a chance to watch some of his program back by looking at the monitor that is replaying some highlights. It occurs to Yuuri that he had his eyes closed for a lot of the program and he can't imagine that that was safe, and he's not entirely sure how he made it work. But he also finds it hard to believe that he's looking at himself skate. It's almost as if, for the first time, he's beginning to understand what Viktor means by Yuuri creating music with the way he skates.

As the announcer starts to speak, Yuuri clutches Viktor's hands in preparation. "Yuuri Katsuki's short program score is 119.03. That's his season's best score and he's currently in first place."

Yuuri and Viktor turn to face each other and start cheering. He did it. His crazy plan worked. It's almost unbelievable. Yuuri tries to think of the number of times he's tried to carry out a crazy idea and have it work. He did it at last year's Finals too, so maybe this is just a competition where taking risks pays off. No matter the case, Yuuri is over the moon and in his ecstatic state, he pulls Viktor in for a kiss.

"What a great way to celebrate an anniversary," Viktor whispers as they pull apart and Yuuri can't help but kiss him again.

* * *

After the press conference and all of the other formalities they have to go through, the skaters all leave for the hotel together.

"I need a second quad," Phichit says in frustration as they escape the press.

"You'd be too dangerous," Viktor teases, "The rest of us can hardly stand up to you as it is."

"You're ten points ahead of me!" Phichit accuses, "I'll get that second quad one way or another, just you wait."

"Can you guys believe we all went clean though?" Chris says, "When does that even happen?"

"The possibility is very low, I'd say there was less than a 1% chance of that happening." Seung-gil says.

"I just hope we're not peaking too soon," Yuuri wonders out loud and gets a slap in the arm from Yurio.

"Don't be so negative. I still have a lot of points to gain in my components. I'll take my record back at the Olympics. Enjoy it while you can."

They all separate at the hotel, wishing each a good night as they leave for their rooms.

* * *

"Can I have a look at your scores," Viktor asks before Yuuri makes it to the shower, and Yuuri points to his bag. He's naked and cold at the moment, so Viktor can get it for himself.

After having cleaned and warmed up in the shower, Yuuri dons a fluffy bathrobe and settles beside Viktor on the bed.

"Any comments, coach?" Yuuri asks, as Viktor is still looking over the scores, his laptop replaying Yuuri's short program.

"Perfect 10 on both interpretation and performance. That's a first in international competition, right?"

"Yes," Yuuri smiles. He had been very excited as he had looked at his score for the first time.

"Now, I only got a 10 for interpretation, but look," Viktor hands over both score sheets to Yuuri, "I still beat you in the overall component score."

Yuuri looks over at the numbers. The were equal in interpretation, Yuuri won in performance, but in the last three categories, Viktor's score exceeds Yuuri's.

"Unless you want to continue with the quad lutz, I think your score in composition and transition will go up once you put the toe in again. But if you want to keep the lutz, then we need to change the program a bit to accompany it. But we can make that decision after the competition."

"No," Yuuri says, "I said that it would only be for the Finals, and I'm sticking to that. I don't think I could have pulled it off if I had been under any more stress, and I'm sure both the Olympics and Worlds will pressure me more than today. So I'll go back to my original layout."

Viktor smiles, "I love your independency," he says and Yuuri laughs.

"Is that all you love about me?"

Viktor almost seems offended: "Of course not! You have a great butt too."

Yuuri laughs again, and Viktor has to remind him that they're not done going over the short program. With Celestino, they always waited until after the competition to review programs, but Viktor knew that the best way of keeping Yuuri's mind off of the free skate, was to analyse the short.

"If you're going back to your original layout, we don't have to talk about the lutz, but I expect your attempt tomorrow to be even better than today. Technically speaking, the only real issue is your second spin. I think having two spins back to back is a little tasking for you, so we'll be focusing on that when we get back. It's not much, but look at our GoEs," Viktor points to the scores again, "Your base value is higher than mine, but I have better execution. When you take the lutz out, the only difference between us is which jumping passes are in the second half of the program. You need to pick up every point you can."

"You sound like such a good coach," Yuuri remarks and Viktor smiles in return.

"That's because I am good coach. Every student I've ever had has won Worlds and broken multiple world records."

"Wow!" Yuuri exclaims, "Your students must be great!"

"They are the best."

* * *

 **1) The song Viktor wrote for Yuuri is Hana ni Nare**

 **2) Yuuri's costume is based on Yuzuru Hanyu's costume to that same song, but just all white.**

 **3) There is a lot of Phichit in this chapter, because I wanted to bring his accomplishments into focus. He's really doing something groundbreaking and he's doing it in style.**

 **4) Scores:**

 **Yuuri - 119.03 (WR)**  
 **Viktor - 114.23 (SB)**  
 **Chris - 111.27 (PB)**  
 **Yurio - 108.15 (SB)**  
 **Seung-gil - 106.60 (SB)**  
 **Phichit - 105.02 (PB)**

 **WR=World Record, SB= Season's Best, PB=Personal Best**


	14. Grand Prix Final: Free Skate

**This site is not nice to social media formats *pouts***

 **Fact of the Chapter: We've talked about skating skills and transitions, so now we can talk about the third program component: performance. As the name suggests, this component is about performance skills. This is a skill best assessed when watching a skater in person as it factors in how a skater interacts/involves the audience, their own commitment to the program and how the program comes off. How memorable and unique a program is, is also factored into this component. This is the the only component where the technical side can factor in as a program which includes a fall or other major disturbances will naturally reflect the performance of the program negatively. Contrary, a cleanly skated program will have a positive effect on this component.**

* * *

As usual, Viktor wakes up before his alarm plays the song of the month (for December he has chosen to wake up to Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata), and he promptly turns it off before it has a chance at waking the sleeping beauty beside him. It's still quite early, and Viktor thinks he can let Yuuri sleep a little longer, and uses his time to go through some social media. With his hectic schedule, Viktor has been quite active on Twitter especially, to give updates through posts and tweets rather than through prolonged interviews. And using Twitter allows Viktor to do and say pretty much exactly what he wants rather than being constricted by what the reporters want to talk about. He finds it quite liberating, and he instinctively opens Twitter to make his first post of the day.

 **Viktor Nikiforov** Excited for tonight's free skate! Making sure my beautiful #katsudonyuuri is well rested by giving him 5 more minutes of sleep 3 #sleepingbeauty

As soon as he hits _tweet_ the post receives a couple hundred likes, retweets and replies and he takes the time to answer a few. He much prefers fan interactions to a reporter asking the same question a previous reporter just asked. His fans are much more original and supportive in their interactions.

 **catsudon** #v-nikiforov cheering for both of you tonight! but would you rather have you or yuuri win?

 **Viktor Nikiforov** #catsudon thank you! whoever skates best wins! as long as we're both happy with our performance it doesn't matter where we place (although a gold medal sure would be nice)

 **Cup of Kisses** #v-nikiforov #catsudon viktor is probably too afraid of yakov to outright say that he wants yuuri to win lmao

Viktor chuckles a bit at the reply, but doesn't confirm or deny. Truth is, if he had a say in which one of them won, he wouldn't know who to choose. Fact is, he wants Yuuri to do his best, and he would be over the moon if Yuuri could finally claim that gold medal that barely escaped him last year. But Viktor is a competitor. He's not here for second place. It's his last Finals and, sure, he's won six times before, but this is his last season, and he wants to prove something with his programs. He wants to show that his own story is just as compelling as the ones he created to win in the past. But if Yuuri ended up being the one to snatch the gold away from him? Viktor really wouldn't mind. In the end, it's quite simple what Viktor has to do. He has to skate his best, and hope that Yuuri does too. He believes that Yuuri would be just as happy if he won, as Viktor would be for him.

He scrolls through a few more of the twitter replies, and likes some of the funnier ones, before he moves over to instagram. It occurs to him that he hasn't actually opened the app since they arrived in Japan and he posted a photo of him and Yuuri posing in front of giant Yuri poster at the rink.

He scrolls somewhat aimlessly until a post from Phichit pops up, where he has to stop to assess what the hell is happening. The photo is of Yuuri, and only Yuuri. He's sitting on their hotel bed, but he isn't looking at the camera, rather, he has his face in his hands, and his ears seem to be little red, which means he's probably embarrassed. In the corner of the photo there is a black plastic bag, and Yuuri seems to have something in his lap, but the frame cuts off the item before it's identifiable. The post was made when Viktor was still at the rink after Yuuri had gone back to the hotel on the day they had arrived, and since Viktor knows nothing about this, he thinks someone owes him an explanation. Instagram user: hamsterking, seems to capture his feelings about this particular post quite perfectly.

 **phichit+chu**

[image]

Liked by **christophe-gc, sara-crispino** and **45.842 others**

 **phichit+chu** it seems that **christophe-gc** has given **katsudonyuuri** quite the birthday gift #birthdayboy #happylatebirthday

View all 9.281 comments

 **hamsterking** WHAT IS IT? PLEASE MY FAMILY IS STARVING

 **gaycometti** poor yuuri he can't handle the chris

 **christophe-gc** happy birthday yuuri! enjoy your anniversary

4 DAYS AGO

From the context Viktor has, the present could only be something lewd, but Yuuri is surprisingly forward with stuff like this. Especially if the lewd item in question is something he did not acquire himself. This is not the first time Chris has gifted them something strictly bedroom related, but that incident happened almost a year ago now (it had been Viktor's birthday present), and at the time, Viktor and Yuuri were still very much in the exploring phases. And even then Yuuri had not shied away from first asking what the hell Chris had even sent them, and then been the one to suggest trying it out. So Viktor wonders if Chris has sent them something extremely kinky, or if it's just the competition that has made the item slip from Yuuri's mind. For some reason, Viktor decides to ask Chris.

 _What did you get Yuuri for his birthday?_

 _He hasn't told you?_ Chris replies immediately.

 _I only know you got him something because of Phichit's post_

 _Maybe he wants to surprise you then? Win gold and perhaps you will get a reward._

 _Chris please!_

He gets no reply for a while until Chris sends him an eggplant emoji. After that, Viktor puts his phone aside and orders room service. He'll find out about the gift sooner or later.

When Yuuri finally wakes from his slumber (due to five minutes of Viktor trying wake him up by shaking him, kissing him, sitting on him and playing welcome to the madness as loudly as his phone speakers would allow him), they make their plan for the day. They decide to go to the rink for a short half hour workout, and then enjoy some of the junior events before they have to prepare for their own performances. They also find themselves squeezing in a little time to see Mila skate, because even if her short program is just half an hour before the men's free skate start, they both still want to support her.

And so the day continues. Yuuri and Viktor do a short interview after their practice, and then return to the hotel to get themselves ready for the rest of the day. Watching the junior competitions makes for a nice distraction and Yuuri gets quite ecstatic as a Japanese skater takes home the bronze. It's been awhile since the Japanese Juniors have taken a medal at the Finals, and Yuuri beams as the junior in a post-competition interview says that Yuuri is his idol.

They have some time to kill between the junior and senior events, and while it's still a little early for them to put on their costumes, they can prepare everything else. Viktor takes care of both his own and Yuuri's make-up, and Yuuri does Viktor's hair. For his free skate, Viktor's hair is in a halo braid, with small pins that look like snowflakes going all around the braid to make it look like a crown made of snow and ice. It looks a bit like Yurio's hairdo from his free skate last year, expect Viktor doesn't pull his remaining hair up in a ponytail, but into a tight bun, which Yuuri covers with more snowflakes. It matches his white and blue costume quite well. All of his nails are painted white today, although there is a little glitter on them as well. Just to make him sparkle a little more. No one ever died from too much glitter.

Yuuri's get up is a little simpler. Viktor mostly applies some light mascara to highlight his eyes, and matte lipstick that just make his lip pop a little bit more than usual. It also makes him look extremely kissable, so Viktor has made sure to get a lipstick that doesn't smear. That way he can kiss Yuuri as much as he wants.

They watch the beginning of the women's short program and decide to stay in their seats until Mila has skated. As much as they would like to stay for the entire competition, they simply don't have the time. The event is quite spectacular. The women seem to have followed the trend of the men's short program, and deliver one clean performance after the other. After three skaters, the mark to beat is seventy-six and Mila takes the ice.

She skates to Incantation, and the program is very powerful. It's not exactly uncommon for the women to have powerful aggressive programs, but it is far from the norm, and Mila likes being different. She is certainly one of the only top skaters to be as powerful in her skating as she is. And it's not the style of her skating, it's the jumps as well. She starts off with her triple axel, which she has mastered to perfection in preparation for this season. Next is her triple loop, and she marks another successful jump. Two spins and a step sequence later, she jumps her combination which is the highlight of the program. A triple lutz-triple toe. And once again, she nails it. It shows on her face in the last spin, and as she strikes her final pose, because she's smiling wider than ever. She lets out of roar of victory and bows to an standing ovation. Viktor and Yuuri both join in on the screaming and cheering when she bows to their side of the rink. It's been five years since she came to Yakov, and Viktor has been blessed to see how much she has evolved in that time. It's still her first year as the Russian national champion, but she carries the title with ease.

Viktor and Yuuri stand to leave the rink, but stay behind to see her score. And damn are they glad they did. They are sitting (or rather standing) fairly close to the Kiss & Cry, so they can see Mila's reaction pretty clearly. And it really is priceless. She gets a monster score of 83.78. It's not just a season's best, a personal best or the best score of the season. Mila just smashed Sara's world record and Viktor is almost surprised to see Mila cry. They leave as the crowd roars Mila on, only to go quiet as the next skater finally takes to the ice.

In the warm-up area, the atmosphere is different. There is an air of tension between the men who are getting ready for their free skate. Viktor gives some final words of encouragement to Yuuri, before Yuuri closes himself off with his headphones while Viktor goes through a series of warm-ups as well. While the earphones Viktor are using are not noise cancelling, it's still quiet. The tv has been put on silent, and the rink is far enough removed that only the loudest of applauses would make its way through. Through his music, Viktor occasionally hears when an official relays some information to the coaches (which Yakov then relays to him) and the sounds of the skaters running up and down the hallway. There is no chatter, and no comment on what is going on in the women's competition. Even as the women's event ends with Mila in a comfortable lead, Viktor merely catches Yurio's gaze for a short while, before they continue on with their own thing.

They get called to the rink after a brief intermission. They introduce themselves to the crowd before their six minute warm-up begins. As the fifth to skate, the warm-up serves almost entirely as a formality for Viktor. He uses the time to jump a couple of quads, but otherwise just skates around, paying more attention to Yuuri, who seems to be doing the same as him. Yuuri is last to skate, so this warm-up is even less useful to him than it is to Viktor.

Viktor even gets a chance to listen to the announcer who is introducing them to the audience with a rundown of their biggest achievements. He's introduced as the reigning Olympic Champion, and with the notion that this is his first time at the Finals in two years. It occurs to Viktor then that every time he has skated in the grand prix series, he has qualified for the Finals (even if he had to withdraw from one due to an injury). The fact that it has been two years since he last participated almost seems unreal. Especially since he was so invested in the previous one. Viktor wonders how he will feel when he's retired for good, but leaves that thought for another time. Meanwhile, he gets to smile as Yuuri is introduced as the reigning world champion.

The warm-up ends and five skaters leave the rink, as Phichit readies himself for his free skate. As much as Viktor isn't one to follow his competition closely when his own free skate is coming up, he feels like he owes it to Yuuri. He wants to be able to tell Yuuri how everyone did after his skate if he asks, so while he can't give Phichit his full attention, he gives him some of it.

It's another one of those programs where no matter how Yuuri and Phichit place in relation to each other, Viktor is going to tell Yuuri to watch the program. Not that Yuuri wouldn't watch it anyway, but Viktor feels like he needs to emphasize that Phichit is always a skater worth watching. The program is pretty much flawless. Viktor would only correct a few things here and there, but nothing that could be counted as mistakes. It's the kind of program that makes Viktor wonder why the hell they all worry so much about having a million different quads, because Phichit who only has one (that he can then use twice) still seems to be beating most of them on a daily basis. His program is fun, interactive and full of passion, and it translates to the audience who are leaping out of their seats before the program is even close to ending.

Phichit beats his own personal best for both free skate and total score, and puts up the mark to beat: 311.35. At last year's Finals, that would have earned him a bronze. In this season's grand prix series, it would have earned him gold in every competition. Now everyone else must just up their game to fend off the challenge Phichit has thrown at them. Viktor doesn't think that Phichit quite understands how good he is, or how much of a threat he actually is to everyone else. Especially not as he sits in the Kiss & Cry, taking selfies with some of the hamster plushies given to him by his fans.

Seung-gil goes second and the support from the crowd is even bigger than when he had performed at NHK Trophy. Seung-gil has, from the get go, a much higher base value than Phichit. Not only does he attempt four quads, he also has three different quads in his arsenal, two of which are in the second half. Although, Viktor knows that Seung-gil needs a perfect performance to even touch Phichit, who is years ahead of him in the presentation score. Seung-gil might need that one point advantage he has over Phichit from the short program to stand a chance. As Seung-gil lands his quad-triple combination in the second half of the program, Viktor thinks he has it, but when he goes for the fourth and last quad, he underrotators and falls. Even if doing four quads is no longer something that only he and a few other big jumpers attempt, it's still just as hard, and it's rare that all four quads are successfully landed. Seung-gil barely breaks the 300 point barrier and has to settle into second as of now.

Next up is Yurio, who wants to defend his title. He seems fiercely determined as he takes the ice, but Viktor thinks that perhaps that's not the best mood for him to be in. Or at least, it's not the best mood to show for this particular program. But maybe Yurio needs that determination for his quad loop attempt, because he tries for it and lands it quite beautifully. After that, the determination takes a backseat and Yurio goes fully into character. He still seems to struggle a little bit with the expressions, and Viktor believes that to be due to the entirely different characters he has to portray in the short and the free, but he's definitely improving with every competition. Yurio has added a short spiral sequence as a replacement of a spread eagle sequence preceding his favorite quad salchow in the beginning of the second half, and it almost becomes the highlight of the program. Viktor should talk to Lilia about rearranging the free skate a little to make the sequence longer.

Yurio is still not equipped to carry out an entire free skate though, and loses a bit of focus during the choreographic sequence and the final spin. Despite the higher technical score and his lead from the short program, Viktor isn't confident that Yurio will overtake Phichit, and if he does, it won't be by much. As the scores get announced, Yurio falls behind Phichit in the free skate, but barely overtakes him due to his three point lead. A score of 312.25 is nothing to be disappointed about, but maybe Yurio senses that it won't be enough for the gold. But, well, it all comes down to how the final three skate.

Chris has all the chances of guaranteeing himself a medal. He has a strong free skate, which is loved by the judges (especially now that he has toned down his erotic aura) and he is experienced. It's not for nothing that he was Viktor's main rival for most of his career. Chris has another wonderful start to his program. His opening quad lutz-triple toe is gigantic and Viktor is completely convinced that Chris actually jumped from one end of the rink to the other. The program goes on, and the more Viktor watches, the more he starts to wish that at some point Chris will skate after him so that he can get the chance to watch the program up close without being distracted by having to skate next.

But as it turns out, he currently is hindered by having to skate next, and sacrifices watching Chris' step sequence to give Yuuri a bit of encouragement. Yuuri seems much more at ease today than at Skate America, and pulls Viktor down for a quick good luck kiss. Whether it's good luck to Viktor or himself, he might never know, but maybe they both need a little bit of it. Yuuri pushes Viktor towards Yakov, leaves for the rink, and catches the rest of Chris' program.

The second half seems almost as successful as the first half until Chris gets to his very last jumping pass and falls on a triple axel. Viktor suddenly has a million flashbacks to when that jump gave Chris a world of trouble until he began being able to control it a couple of years back, and then started jumping it like he never had a problem with it. His comfort with the jump even showed when he started putting it as his last jump pass instead of his triple lutz. But with the bad history, Chris doesn't seem too bothered by the mistake and carries on with the program, and seems to erase any memory of his mistake with his final spin, which features some insane sit position which Viktor has still not been able to comprehend how he can even perform without actually falling over.

Viktor skates out as Chris leaves the rink, and he manages to catch Chris' attention briefly to tell him that he did well. Chris cheers him on in return before they both skate in opposite directions. Viktor jumps a triple axel and a quad salchow to steady himself just before Chris gets his score, and then skates to the barrier to see what score he has to beat. Once again, Phichit's free skate score remains the top, but his disadvantage from the short means that Chris takes the lead. Viktor really was right when he told Phichit that with two quads in the short, he would probably be close to unstoppable.

Viktor's name gets called and he greets the audience. It almost feels like a home crowd when they cheer for him, and Viktor wants to believe it is. Even if they've spent more time in Russia than in Japan lately, Japan really feels more like home than anywhere else.

As the music begins, Viktor throws all his sappy thoughts away and focuses on the task ahead.

Viktor really loves this program. It may not have reached its full potential just yet, but with every performance, he thinks that the audience understands just a little bit more of what he wants to portray with it. The opening quad toe-triple toe combination is met with great applause, and Viktor moves onto the quad sal.

When he was younger he had really hated the quad salchow. For some reason, the only edge jump Viktor has ever liked was the axel - another thing that makes him weird in the skating world because almost no one likes the axel. Maybe that's why him and Yuuri are soulmates. Because they both love the axel and not so much the other edge jumps. In any case, before the crazy quad revolution began, it was almost mandatory to be able to jump the quad sal if you wanted to challenge the top skaters. Especially for a young Viktor who still hadn't reached the maturity he had today and was more dependent on his technical prowess.

Regardless, Viktor can do a pretty good quad salchow now, even if he much prefers his beloved quad flip. Which he has now added to his free skate (Yakov had been quite happy when Viktor had told him that). The crowd, of course, know nothing about his intentions, so when the quad flip appears out of nothing where a triple had once been, the audience cheers so loudly that someone has to turn the volume of Viktor's music up. Next is the triple lutz, and Viktor is feeling pretty good today. He lessens the preparation time for the jump for some more intricate transitions, and is pretty sure he was on an outside edge this time around. It feels pretty good to him at least.

Viktor has of course not listened to Yakov at all when he said "take out the biellmann", and though he can definitely agree that it's not perfect, the fact of the matter is that the only other person in men's figure skating who can do it, is Yurio, so Viktor likes to include it. It's a nice throwback as well, seeing as he hasn't done it for a couple of seasons. He has a triple-triple combination just before the second half, and then comes the triple loop.

Viktor is determined to not mess it up this time, but perhaps he overthinks it, because he messes up the landing and has to step out of it. He can hear Yakov yelling at him from ten minutes in the future. Oh well, he'll just skate the rest cleanly. He has both of his triple axels in the end of the program - to make up for all his quad being in the first half - and he jumps the first (in combination with a triple flip) perfectly. And why wouldn't he? The combination is just his two favorite jumps back to back.

He has refined his choreographic sequence slightly since NHK (because all of Yakov's words weren't completely lost on him). As much as he would have liked to stick to his original choreography, Yakov had a point when he said that the program was hard to understand. If the program was just for Viktor, then there was no point in showing it to others, so he holds back on the subtle motions that can't be captured by someone sitting in the back row, and performs a little louder than previously.

His last jump, the solo triple axel, is so close to the end of the program, that Viktor knows he needs a little extra power to jump it. He's quite exhausted, and if he doesn't get enough speed, he'll underrotate the jump. And Viktor doesn't like to make mistakes late in the program. It leaves the program on a sour note. Especially for someone like him who is known for his consistency. The entry into the jump is also fairly easy. Not devoid of intricate steps entirely, but definitely not something as difficult as a backcounter. So perhaps Viktor overthinks this one too and completely miscalculates his own speed and remaining stamina and ends up overrotating the jump. He barely keeps on his feet as he enters the final spin, trying not to break character by laughing over his own dumb mistake.

Viktor enters his final pose, another part which he has changed slightly, and instead of reaching his hands out towards the audience, like sharing with them a piece of his heart and soul, he reaches upward. He moves his gaze upwards, as he raises his left arm and reaches for the stars, his palm remaining open.

Viktor is pretty happy with how the program turned out. It wasn't entirely perfect, but his lutz seemed good, he added yet another quad and the program itself seemed to resonate just a little more with the audience than at his qualifiers. Viktor can't hold back his smile as he bows to the audience.

Yuuri is next, and Viktor skates over to his gate, instead of where Yakov is waiting for him, to give him one last message: "I did pretty well. Come catch me." Yuuri smiles, and the fire lights in his eyes. Viktor skates over to Yakov.

"Your lutz got better," Yakov says and Viktor smiles a little more, "Don't be so happy about it. You're not twenty anymore. Your loop was still terrible."

Viktor doesn't really care. He thinks he did pretty well, and he accepts a few presents to some fans sitting near the Kiss & Cry. One fan gives him a plushie of Yuuri wearing his pink Stammi Vicino costume and Viktor gives the boy one of the snowflake pins in his hair. The boy holds onto it like he was just given Viktor's first born child and Viktor merely smiles as he goes to the Kiss & Cry.

"You shouldn't give out parts of your costume," Yakov comments as they both watch Yuuri warm up instead of looking at the monitor showing Viktor's free skate. Lilia is watching over him at the boards in Viktor's stead.

"It's fine," Viktor says and claps as Yuuri lands a quad lutz in his warm-up, "I have extra pins."

Eventually, and Viktor thinks it took longer than usual, they get ready to announce his score. His total score is 322.42 and he takes first, but that's not what gets Viktor to release a squeal of surprise and happiness, which has Yakov turn to him questioning.

"I beat Phichit in the free skate!" Viktor explains excitedly, and Yakov has no reply, so Viktor elaborates because he wants Yakov to be happy when he achieves something, "No one has beaten Phichit in the free skate this season!"

Yakov shakes his head, "Didn't Katsuki beat him in September?"

"Oh! You're right. I'm the second to beat Phichit and the first in the grand prix series!"

Yakov doesn't get to tell Viktor off again, because Viktor leaves (much to the displeasure of the photographers) to cheer Yuuri on.

The beginning of Yuuri's program is just as slow as Viktor's, and he moves carefully through the first part of the choreography. They still have a bit to work on with this program, but Yuuri skates it beautifully nonetheless. His quad lutz at the top of the program is definitely better than in the short program, and Viktor cheers along with the crowd.

If Viktor dislikes the quad salchow, Yuuri hates it. It's a jump that Yuuri tends to fall on when his head isn't fully in the game, but even a Yuuri on his best day can make mistakes on it. Perhaps he exchanged the quad salchow for a consistent lutz edge when god asked him what skating abilities he wanted. Yuuri mistimes the jump and pops it into a double salchow and he seems visibly annoyed by the mistake. It possibly messes a bit with him in the following spin, but afterwards he seems like he's back and does a beautiful quad toe-double toe just to show that he is fully capable of jumping quads. He further proves himself in the step sequence, where he has been expanding his use of the rink and at some point gets so close to Viktor at the boards that Viktor is overcome with a sudden urge to just reach over and kiss him. He'll have to save that for when the program is over.

Once again, Yuuri shows that he is nothing but a pure toe jumper, because the triple loop attempt will be the first thing they will work on when they get back to Saint Petersburg. Yuuri's takeoff is a little weaker than usual and it results in an under rotation and a fall. Viktor thanks god that Yuuri's program is about the personification of fire, because at this point, Yuuri is channeling his inner Yurio. He changes his triple flip to a quad out of what can only be spite and anger, and Viktor really needs to talk to him about randomly adding quads just because he feels like it. At least when Viktor adds quads he both tells his coach and does so at least a week in advance (even if he doesn't always explain why). And although it's not inherently bad to change a program to make up for a mistake, having two quad flips at the very end of the program was not one of the emergency strategies they had discussed. Viktor had quite explicitly told Yuuri that if he wanted to add a quad, he could change the triple flip for a quad toe. Yuuri had even practiced that layout quite a lot over the summer.

But it doesn't seem to faze Yuuri at all, because even though he should be absolutely exhausted, he still jumps his final quad flip-triple toe, even if the landing leaves much to be desired. But at this point, Viktor is merely surprised that Yuuri even had the energy to pull of a quad, let alone put a triple on the end of it. Viktor would surely have fainted right then and there. When Yuuri ends the program, Viktor feels like his heart is about to leap out of his chest.

"Don't scare me like that," Viktor says as he envelops Yuuri in a hug by the barrier.

Yuuri laughs a little, "Sorry, I just got a little annoyed when I missed the triple loop."

"A little annoyed?" Viktor looks at Yuuri with a raised eyebrow, "We'll talk about this when we get back to the hotel."

They go to the Kiss & Cry and Yuuri inhales a water bottle, gets offered a new one by a staff member, and inhales that one too. However, even though Yuuri seems ready to just go to sleep, there are no signs of regret showing in face. Viktor thinks that maybe they should change the emergency plan to accompany Yuuri's spontaneous idea.

"What's you score?" Yuuri asks, the judges still going through his program.

"322," Viktor replies. He doubts their scores will be so close that the last digits matter. When Yuuri doesn't reply, Viktor chuckles, "Are you just assuming that I'm in the lead?"

Yuuri looks at him, "Of course," he says, as though it was obvious, and Viktor just pulls him in for a hug. He's so precious.

The monitor shows them as they hug, and Viktor pays no attention to it. Yuuri deserves so many hugs.

When the score comes up to show that Yuuri has won with a score of 324.26, Viktor is not even remotely surprised. Perhaps he should be, but it had only seemed right when Yuuri had landed that emergency quad is only surprised that he is this happy with a silver medal. Especially because Yuuri had been much less enthusiastic about his silver medal from Barcelona.

"Who else beat me in the free?" Yuuri asks, still focused on the scores, even though Viktor is just excited about Yuuri winning.

Viktor looks at the scores again and sees that Yuuri's free skate score does in fact only rank third. "Phichit," Viktor says and Yuuri turns to him. A little smile appearing on his lips. Viktor gives him a quick kiss before Yuuri has a chance to speak and he seems to lose track of the conversation as he kisses Viktor back.

* * *

The medal ceremony takes place immediately after the men's free skate, and Yuuri is almost crying tears of joy when he gets announced as the gold medalist. Viktor follows him and doesn't hold back from giving Yuuri a kiss when he greets him at the podium. Chris follows Viktor and also gives Yuuri a kiss (although it is on the cheek and he gives Viktor one as well), before he takes his place on Yuuri's left.

A national anthem, thousands of photos and a press conference later, Yuuri collapses on their bed in the hotel.

"We should eat a little before sleeping," Viktor says, finds the hotel menu and sits down on the bed.

"Let's have cake," Yuuri says and rolls over to lay his head on Viktor's lap.

"Okay, what else do you want," Viktor asks. Since Mama Hiroko can't make them katsudon, the least Viktor can do is allow Yuuri some cake.

"Cake. Just cake," Yuuri says and Viktor ruffles his hair.

"We can't just order cake. How about we share a pizza or something?"

"I'll accept that," Yuuri says and leaves Viktor's lap, "But first. Shower." Yuuri takes Viktor's hand and drags him to the bathroom.

So they shower, eat pizza and cake, and lie in bed with their legs intertwined, giggling about something ridiculous. It's a wonderful day, Viktor thinks.

"The exhibition will be fun," Yuuri says, "We both have new programs."

"Mine isn't that new," Viktor replies and Yuuri gasps dramatically and then drapes a hand over his forehead, no doubt making fun of Viktor and his dramatic antics.

"Not new? I have never! It's a completely different thing."

Viktor laughs, "I just meant that the music is familiar. Unlike with your exhibition."

"I can't wait to skate with you again," Yuuri smiles and kisses him. Viktor can't wait either.

* * *

The next day they watch the entirety of the women's free skate and cheer as Mila takes the gold with less than a point over Sara. She seems even happier than Yuuri about winning, but it is the first time she has won against Sara. The first time since anyone has won over Sara in almost two years. The Olympics are really shaping up to be something spectacular.

* * *

"Yuuri!" Phichit calls from across the room. The medalists are getting ready for the exhibition, and Phichit is here to take pictures of everything. "Your new costume is beautiful! I didn't know you had changed your exhibition." Yuuri's costume is beautiful. It's very a like his last free skate costume with the blue jacket and pants, but there is less glitter. The simplicity of the costume draws attention to Yuuri's handsome face.

"I did say that Viktor had given me a song, didn't I?"

"Let's take a selfie," Phichit says and takes a photo without waiting for approval.

"Upload it after the exhibition," Yuuri says, and Phichit tilts his head, "I don't want to spoil the surprise."

"Sure, Nikiforov, sure." Phichit leaves laughing, and Viktor looks to Yuuri.

"That was misleading."

"Phichit doesn't know how to keep a secret," Yuuri smiles. Viktor knows that's not entirely true, but it's more fun when no one knows what they're up to. Although, Chris seems to be eyeing them suspiciously. Thankfully he will be too busy skating his own program to expose them on social media.

Viktor's exhibition is first, and although it's not as dramatic a surprise as when he had joined Yuuri's exhibition halfway through last year, the applause is no less deafening when Yuuri joins him for his exhibition. Last year they had skated to Stammi Vicino, this time around, they skate to Yuri on Ice. They start with their backs turned to each other, in the same pose Yuuri stood in as he skated the program by himself. When the music start and they raise their heads, they turn to each and hold out their hands before they move together in perfect sync, hand in hand. Although it is still mostly performed as an ice dance, there are no rules that say that they have to stick to one style of skating, and where Yuuri used to have his opening quad-double combination, they jump a quad flip side by side. There are no other jumps in the program, but they have become more adventurous in their lifts. Yuuri lifts Viktor up over his head, while Viktor swings Yuuri around in a death spiral. They end the program combining two of their ending poses. Viktor's pose from the end of his current short program, where he reaches out for Yuuri, and Yuuri's pose from the end of Yuri on Ice where he lets Viktor take his hand. The program completes their story and Viktor is happy to have skated it with Yuuri. It seems only right.

Of course, Yuuri has an exhibition of his own. It's no less surprising than their joint exhibition, and resonates with the Japanese crowd. The white kimono with the pink cherry blossoms looks great on Yuuri, and under the spotlight, he looks ethereal. Viktor watches from the sidelines and captures a short video to upload on his instagram.

 **v-nikiforov**

[video]

Liked by **phichit+chu, minikenjirou** and **8.283 others**

 **v-nikiforov** my amazing finacé **katsudonyuuri** is the most beautiful on the ice tonight

View all 1.928 comments

 **katsudon-eros** like yuuri isn't always the most beautiful

 **ssviktuuri** what is this song? i need it to LIVE

 **phichit+chu** your instagram is turning into a yuuri fan account #stopstealingmyjob #yuuristealer

 **v-nikiforov** **ssviktuuri** it's an original song i'll post it if yuuri lets me :) JUST NOW

After Yuuri's breathtaking performance, the entire arena (along with Viktor) cheers and demands an encore. Someone puts on the last minute of Yuuri's short program, and Yuuri treats them to a lovely step sequence.

Their nationals may separate them for a week in the near future, but Viktor has so many positive emotions flowing through him that he thinks they'll be alright. For now, they can celebrate a well-earned gold medal.

* * *

 **Will I come back to the edible underwear? Probably not. For now, just imagine that it was definitely used after the competition, and it probably involved Viktor being tied up and removing Yuuri's clothes with his mouth alone. If anyone wants to write it, please, go ahead. I would love to read it.**

 **1) Some moves I might need to explain**  
 **Spiral - A move where the skate glides on one foot while their free leg is raised above the hip. Uncommon in men's figure skating.**

 **Biellmann Spin - An upright spin position executed on one foot, while the skater holds the other foot over and behind their head (mostly seen in women's figure skating as it requires a flexibility not often seen with men). I believe Yurio uses a Biellmann in the anime, and Kubo has drawn Viktor in a Biellmann position before (I can't find the drawing anywhere though, it has been lost to time), so that's why I assume he can do it.**

 **Side-by-side-jump - A required element in pair skating where the skaters must perform the same jump in perfect sync.**

 **Death Spiral - A spin position in which one skater pivots around themselves while holding circling their partner on a deep edge with their body almost parallel to the ice.**

 **2) Some more programs**

 **Mila's short program is based on Rika Hongo's Incantation (aka the program that made me fall in love with her)**

 **Viktor and Yuuri's joint exhibition is of course based on Yuuri's own free skate, but there is a pair skating version of it of it, performed by Miu Suzaki & Ryuichi Kihara (I'm sure you all saw that at the Olympics). It's on youtube on the olympic channel if you want to watch it :D**

 **Lastly, Yuuri's exhibition is based on Yuzuru Hanyu's Hana ni Nare which I also wrote a little about last time :)**

 **Lastly, lastly, and not so much about a program, but to go along with Viktor's free skate, his costume is very much like Yuzuru's Hope & Legacy costume, but entirely blue and white, so just ignore the green.**

 **3) Scores**  
 **Yuuri - FS: 205.23 & Total: 324.26**  
 **Viktor - FS: 208.19 & Total: 322.42**  
 **Chris - FS: 204.99 & Total: 316.26**  
 **Yuri - FS: 204.10 & Total: 312.25**  
 **Phichit - FS: 206.33 & Total: 311.35**  
 **Seung-gil - FS: 193.81 & Total: 300.41**

 **Veteran Podium! Sorry about not having Yurio place, but I really wanted these three to share a podium :D**


	15. Nationals: Defending Champions

**I still hate sns on this site. It's ugly, it doesn't work and you can't use basic formatting. Urgh, live with it guys.**

 **Fact of the Chapter: The fourth of the five components is composition. Composition, as the name suggests, is based on how a program is put together, which means that this is the one that relies the most on the choreography. Some important factors of composition is _ice coverage_ which means how much of the ice a skater uses. Ideally, a skater uses the rink to its fullest, and doesn't just keep within one area. Composition also covers creative choreography and how "busy" a program looks. A well compositioned program will be balanced, and not have a lot of elements in one compact spot (although you can make an argument for how it fits into the program).**

 **Bonus, kind of to understand this component: During the Olympic season, one of the more controversial free skates was Alina Zagitova's Free Skate Don Quixote. The reason for the controversy was the decision of having all of her jumps in second half. The main piece of discussion was that having a free skate where a majority of the elements were in the last two minutes, made the beginning feel slightly dull, while the second half was too busy, and that this imbalance should have been reflected in the composition score.**

 **On the other hand, the argument that this layout matched the music and the ballet piece it was based off of would have it speak for a high composition score, since the ballet piece was structured in a similar way.**

 **My advice would be to watch the program yourself and judge from there. You can find her skate from the Olympics on the Olympic Channel on Youtube.**

* * *

Despite the late hour, Yuuri can't seem to fall asleep. He's not anxious, nor is he missing Viktor terribly, he just finds himself staring at the ceiling not really feeling tired. So he pulls up his phone and thinks that maybe some time on social media will tire him out. Without Viktor to restrain him, Yuuri goes to his mentions on twitter and finds a couple of similar questions directed at him. It makes him chuckle only because he half forgot about it.

 **вкусно** #katsudonyuuri what happened to #v-nikiforov all his sns is dead

There were at least twenty similar tweets directed towards him with that same topic, and Yuuri sure was going to have some fun with this.

 **Katsuki Yuuri** #вкусно i'm sorry to inform you that viktor is dead and i have simply been in too much sorrow to tell you guys :( he will be missed

Needless to say, that tweet gets a lot of comments, none of them from Viktor. Yuuri expected as much. A couple of days ago, when Yuuri was still in Saint Petersburg and not in some hotel room by himself, Viktor and Yurio had gotten into an argument. It has been nothing serious, just the normal kind of ridiculousness they usually get involved in. And Yuuri doesn't claim to know exactly how the bet came about, but Yurio had dared Viktor to not go on social media for a week. And it included appearing on other people's social media as well. What Viktor would get out of it besides winning, Yuuri also doesn't know, but he knows that Yurio demanded the right to post a rather humiliating picture of Viktor. Not even Yuuri has seen this picture. All he knows is that it involves gum in some way shape or form. Viktor still has two days left, so Yuuri expects no response from him just yet. Yuuri continues to scroll through his mentions, and is surprised by the lack of negativity.

 **porkcutletbowl** #katsudonyuuri does viktor really wake up flawless?

 **Katsuki Yuuri** #porkcutletbowl when he was alive he did

 **makka-muffin** #katsudonyuuri who does makkachin love the most?

 **Katsuki Yuuri** #makka-muffin it used to be viktor, but makkachin prefers living people so now it's me

Yuuri answer a few more strictly domestic questions like that, always reminding people that Viktor is in fact dead. Yuuri doesn't know if Viktor can look at his social media and just not post anything, but no matter the case, it sure will be fun to see what he does when he finally comes back online. Not that anyone would ever believe that he is actually dead.

Yuuri falls asleep an hour later.

* * *

Yuuri still has a couple of more days until the men's short program starts, but being the Japanese Nationals, there is a lot of media, and a lot of attention on him. He busies himself more with interviews than actual skating.

"Katsuki-senshuu, could you elaborate on your theme for the season?"

"Yes," Yuuri answers. He is the only one at this press conference and there are almost a hundred reporters packed into the room just to hear him talk for an hour or so, "My theme this season is resurrection. It's quite a broad theme, but it all came from what I talked about after I won Worlds. I want to revive men's figure skating in Japan. Of course, I can't do that by myself, but I hope to at least spark an interest in young skaters.

As for my programs," Yuuri continues. He's been wanting to talk about this for some time, but he couldn't really say much before he had stabilized them, "They each represent a form of resurrection within myself and within my skating. My free skate is all about the passion for skating that I regained last season. I brought it up with my coach shortly after the previous season had ended, because I knew that it was something I wanted to portray in my skating.

For my short program, it's like a resurrection of my roots. When I trained with Celestino, and even before that, I quite often skated to classical music. It's something from my days in the ballet studio that I treasure, and I wanted to skate to something like that again, especially now that I feel like I have reinvented myself." Yuuri finishes and takes a sip of water as a follow-up question is asked:

"Did you choose the music for yourself, or just the theme?"

"I choose the music for my free skate, but the short program music is original. My coach and I worked closely with a composer to make what you hear in my program."

"On the topic of your coach, Viktor Nikiforov, he won't be with you during these championships as he is in Russia competing himself. You arrived in Tokyo by yourself. Are you planning to go through the competition by yourself as well?"

Yuuri smiles: "Oh no, I won't be alone."

* * *

When Viktor's social media ban gets lifted, Yuuri immediately feels his pocket vibrate. He's at dinner with Minako (his stand-in coach for Nationals) and he almost doesn't check his phone as it would be impolite. But, well, Minako has known him since he came out of his mom's womb, so she can probably sit through as he checks what his dumb fiancé is up to now.

 **Viktor Nikiforov** #katsudonyuuri stop telling people I'm dead!

Yuuri blames Phichit for not being able to pass up on a good meme opportunity.

 **Katsuki Yuuri** i miss #v-nikiforov so much T.T sometimes i can still hear his voice

 **Phichit Chulanont** #katsudonyuuri i am so proud of you #proudmama

Viktor tweets at him another three times, but Yuuri ignores him.

"You're evil, Yuuri," Minako says over a glass of wine, "Your fiancé is pining."

"I learned from the best." Yuuri is not talking about Viktor and Minako bursts out laughing.

* * *

Yuuri finally takes pity on Viktor when he begins texting him.

 _Yuuri. Stop ignoring me TAT_

 _I'm sorry. How was your day?_

 _Yurio agreed to do the exhibition!_

 _How did you convince him?_

 _I won the bet! Yuuri. Don't you remember?_

 _I only remember the bet. Didn't think you would win so I didn't pay attention._

 _You hurt me Yuuri_ _（●_ _｀●）_ _But since you're dead you can't feel hurt_ _I'm not dead!_

Viktor attaches a picture of himslef pouting. On the picture he has written "not dead", but in the background Yakov seems to be yelling at him. He might actually have died after the photo was taken. It seems especially likely when Viktor stops texting him. Yuuri sighs and goes to bed.

* * *

When Yuuri wakes up, he finds that Viktor is quite enjoying his regained social media power. Yuuri thinks that maybe Viktor should spend more time preparing for his short program which takes place later today, but Viktor seems to be on top of it all. And maybe he needs something to do now that Yuuri can't entertain him.

 **Viktor Nikiforov** since i was absent for a week i will do an #AMA so ask away!

This had been tweeted just after Yuuri had gone to bed, and his inner Viktor fan cannot help but just scroll through everything Viktor answered, but also all of the unanswered questions.

 **quadaxel** #v-nikiforov will you add quad lutz in your free skate at nationals? you keep adding quads #AMA #viktortheories

The last hashtag makes Yuuri laugh. It's the hashtag that originated when Viktor cut his hair with no explanation, and is now used whenever fans try to predict what Viktor will do next or what his reasons behind something he has done is. #viktortheories was trending the day Viktor left Russia for Hasetsu.

 **Viktor Nikiforov** #quadaxel if i told you, it would spoil the surprise, wouldn't it? but i can promise that you will be surprised :P

 **ssviktuuri** #v-nikiforov i hear rumours that yuuri choreographed his new exhibition himself? can you confirm? what was the first program you choreographed for yourself? #AMA

 **Viktor Nikiforov** #ssviktuuri i can confirm that yuuri choreographed it himself. as for my first program, officially it's fallen angel, but i worked together with #madame-baranovskaya to create my swan program

 **chubbyuuri** #v-nikiforov will you become a full-time coach when you retire? where would you teach and who? #AMA

 **Viktor Nikiforov** #chubbyuuri yes. japan. i have my eyes on some young skaters currently competing in tokyo ;)

 **viktor-fanclub** #v-nikiforov we're a group of fans from all around the world coming to cheer for you at nationals, is there a chance to see you? maybe get some autographs? #AMA #viktorfansunite

 **Viktor Nikiforov** #viktor-fanclub after the free skate there will be a meet up at the rink, i will be there with all the other skaters from #TeamYakov come and meet us!

Yuuri has to force himself to get out of bed after an hour of scrolling through twitter, and Minako does end up knocking on his door half an hour after he was supposed to appear at the rink. If anyone asks, he just overslept.

After some more practice, interviews and a short half hour of socializing with other skaters - he has put his bet on the future of Japanese figure skating and if he wants to be the frontrunner, he has to actually show that. Even if socializing is both tiring and difficult for him to do. He doesn't really know how to be someone people look up to. He doesn't really know how to be someone like Viktor. But he knows Viktor, so he tries to be someone like that.

Yuuri comes back to the hotel rather early. Even if Minako suggests that they eat out, or maybe even join the live viewing hosted by one of the figure skating clubs, Yuuri wants to stay and watch at the hotel. He's far too invested in the Russian Nationals to want to watch it with strangers, and Minako settles in to watch with Yuuri as well.

Yuuri has a couple of wishes for the short program. First, he wants Mila to defend her title. The wish is totally biased, because Russia has other amazing women in skating - including Maria and a couple of others from team Yakov - but Mila has a special place in Yuuri's heart. They bonded a lot when Yuuri came to Saint Petersburg and they became really good friends when Yuuri was helping her with her triple axel.

Yuuri also wants Dmitri to have a top ten finish. It doesn't seem like much, but with the intensely competitive field that is Russian figure skating, it would be a notable placement. And then he wants a top two finish from Viktor and Yurio (preferably with Viktor winning, because Yuuri is a Viktor fan through and through).

Dima is one of the first to skate, and Yuuri is happy to see him skate flawlessly. The sense of pride that often follows when Yuuri looks at Dima skate swells tenfold when Dima starts thanking him in the Kiss & Cry, bowing to the camera and saying _arigato Yuuri-senpai._ Minako hands him tissues when he starts crying. If Yuuri could become what he is for Dima, for other young skaters in Japan, he would be very happy.

An hour later it's time for the last group to skate, and Viktor has once again changed his looks. Instead of keeping his hair loose and simply tied back with some hair pins, he has it tied in a loose ponytail. He's also using different blades than his usual custom golden ones. The ones he is wearing are black and of the same make as Yurio's - meaning that they are lighter in order to assist a skater with jumps. Yuuri doesn't know what Viktor is planning for his Nationals. He has yet to have had two competitions with the same layout in his free skate, and while his short program has remained unchanged during the season, the National Championship would be the one place where Viktor could throw out a new layout without worrying too much about the scores. And the fact that is wearing different skates really makes it seem like he has something planned. Unless… unless that's what Viktor wants them to think… Yuuri has to resist going through everything in #viktortheories.

The warm-up continues without Yuuri figuring out what Viktor may or may not have planned, and he has to sit through the entire group to watch Viktor skate. Most of the last group consists of Team Yakov students, which really establishes Yakov's school at top of Russian skating schools. It's been like that for some years now, but it's no less impressive. Russia has amazing skaters all around, and to have been known as the best place for skaters, especially for a prolonged period of time, was almost unheard of.

Yurio kills his short program. His frustration at missing the podium at the Finals by a very small margin might be what is driving him. He is pretty much guaranteed a spot for the Olympics, so there isn't much for him to gain by giving it all he has today. But for all that Yurio has been trying to pace himself this season, he still can't hold back when he most feels for it. The score he puts up is almost as high as his, now broken, world record. It's higher than anything Viktor has put up this season, and since Yuuri is highly suspicious of what Viktor has planned, he honestly doesn't see him beating Yurio.

The next four certainly don't. Only two others (including Georgi) break 100 points, and even then, Yurio is over ten points ahead. Unless Viktor is planning on doing a quad axel, Yuuri thinks that second is the best he can do for now. He'll make it up in the free, Yuuri isn't too worried.

Obviously, Viktor doesn't randomly start jumping quad axels, but he does open up his short program with a quad lutz-triple toe… attempt. It doesn't exactly go as planned. The quad turns into a triple, the triple toe is added a little later than desired. Oh well… at least he tried. And the lutz seemed correct this time as well. Yuuri feels a weird sense of pride combined with an urge to put his head in his hands and sigh. Especially when Viktor's next jumping pass is a quad loop. The attempt is definitely better than the lutz, because he turns four times in the air, and he doesn't falter. It's still not as good as Seung-gil's, or as stable as JJ's, but it's there. Viktor can't tamper with the axel though, so that just stays where it is, with the same number of revolutions that it always has.

Viktor barely goes over 100 points and places fourth. Yuuri gives in and sighs into his palms, Minako giving him comforting pats on the top of his head.

"You should go to sleep," Minako says after a while, "You only have one day more before your competition begins."

"Yeah, yeah," Yuuri says. He'll go to bed after he's called Viktor. Minako rolls her eyes as she leaves, knowing that her words had no effect on him at all.

Viktor picks up immediately: "Yuuri!" He sings, "Did you watch?"

"I did."

"Why do you sound so disappointed? I landed the loop!"

"Fourth, Viktor? You have to be selected for the Olympics to compete there."

Viktor laughs a little: "Don't worry, love. The Russian federation makes their decision after Europeans. And I'll catch up in the free skate! Have faith in me."

"I have plenty of faith, but I have a feeling that you're going to do something tomorrow too."

"No~"

Yuuri lets out a breath of air. Viktor is such an idiot. They would talk more, but it's well into the night in Japan, so Yuuri has to end the call.

* * *

The next day the routine is the exact same and in the evening, Yuuri settles in for the free skate. Dima has fought himself into the second to last group, and he lays down a good free skate as well. Not quite as flawless as the short program, but it's amazing nonetheless. He'll definitely place in the top 10.

For the last group, Yuuri notices that Viktor is still wearing the black skates and starts bracing himself for another quad loop attempt. Other than that, Viktor's free skate get up is pretty much the same as it has been all season, except for the ribbon tied around his bun. It's blue and red, and with his almost white hair, it looks a lot like the Russian flag.

Viktor skates first and Yuuri is not surprised to see that the quad loop is the first jump in his program. He lands it again, and moves onto have another go at the quad lutz. This time he is successful. The rest of the program is recognizable, and follows the jump layout he had at the Finals. Almost. Since he usually has a combination with his first quad, he has to put the combination elsewhere, and Yuuri is shocked to see Viktor put the double toe on the end of his quad flip. Viktor only makes one mistake in the program, and that's on his closing triple axel. He seems to lose control of the speed of it, and has to put his hand down. But Yuuri can breathe easily now knowing that no one should be able to touch the score that Viktor put up.

In the end, despite winning the free skate, Viktor couldn't rack up enough points to surpass Yurio and so, for the first time in over a decade, Russia has a new champion.

Yuuri only texts his congratulations to the three medalists (Georgi once again coming away with bronze), before going to bed. He has a competition soon.

* * *

The Nationals Championship for men's figure skating in Japan is not very exciting and it goes pretty much exactly how everyone expected it would. Yuuri takes a good lead after short program, and then only widens that lead in the free skate (and that is despite his fall on the quad lutz and a popped quad flip). The real battle seems to be between Takuya and Minami. Not a battle for a place in the Olympics, merely a battle for silver. It's almost surprising that Minami wins, but the point difference between the two of them had been very small, so, really, the event is not super unpredictable.

Yuuri enjoys the gala the most, since he gets to skate to the song Viktor wrote for him and it reminds him that he can go home soon. He'll be home the day after Viktor's birthday, and they'll just have to celebrate it then.

On the day of Viktor's birthday, however, Yuuri officially gets chosen for the Olympics along with Takuya and Minami. It's an amazing feeling. Yuuri has been to the Olympics before, but back then he didn't feel like he had earned his spot. This time he does and he feels proud to represent his country. The white Olympic track suit they recieve feels warm and Yuuri thinks that it matches Viktor's Olympic jacket pretty well.

When morning begins to roll around in Saint Petersburg (Viktor got there last night), Yuuri starts checking his phone frequently. It doesn't take long for Viktor to post something on Instagram (rather than call Yuuri who might be pretty busy).

 **v-nikiforov**

[image]

Liked by **phichit+chu** , **christophe-gc** and **3.289 others**

 **v-nikiforov**! my fiancé is the best! Yuuri, I love you!

View all 918 comments

 **wow-amazing** show us more!

 **ss-viktuuri** that's so cliche but I LOVE IT! PERFECT

 **sukeota3sisters** you're welcome

 **phichit+chu** i better get a peak into that next time i come around

JUST NOW

In preparation for Viktor's birthday, Yuuri had done a number of things. He had put an alarm on Viktor's phone that would tell him to look on the bed on the morning of his birthday. There he would find his birthday present. The present was a photo album. Pictures from all the time they spent in Hasetsu, the time they spent in Saint Petersburg in the summer and all the times they weren't wearing their skates. Yuuri had the triplets to thank for this, since they had an absurd amount of pictures from that first summer they spent together.

Yuuri had also made a deal with their landlady, and she would bring Viktor the flower crown he had ordered, as well as a final gift. A polaroid camera. Since Yuuri had moved in, the apartment Viktor had lived in for so long had transformed into something new, but there was a wall that still just had some random pieces of artwork. And while that was fine and all, Yuuri had gotten a bright idea to change that. The polaroids would do that. It would be like a memory wall. They could put photos, movie tickets, restaurant receipts and whatever else they felt for on it and they would fill it with memories.

The photo Viktor had posted was quite creative. It was a photo of a photo. Viktor had probably made their landlady take a picture of him, while he sat with the flower crown on his head, holding open the photo album, showing a snapshot of a time where they had gone to the beach at night and danced around with fireworks and sparklers. He looked ridiculously happy in the photo, and Yuuri added his own little comment to the post: _put it on the wall._

Yuuri would arrive the next morning, and they'd spend a couple of days together, just the two of them.

* * *

A couple of days after New Years, Yuuri gets a call from Phichit. It's not rare for Phichit to call, but he usually gives Yuuri a warning. Especially when calling at a time like this. Yuuri has barely finished up practice, and is in the middle of removing his skates, and he watches as Viktor is beginning his on-ice warm-up.

"Hey, Phi-" Yuuri doesn't get to continue as Phichit begins to cry.

"Yuuri!" He wails, and Yuuri has stop himself from asking what's wrong, because Phichit is surely about to explain, "Guess what happened?" Through his tears, Yuuri detects some happiness, so he can breathe a little easier.

"Um… You got another hamster?" Yuuri doesn't know what Phichit is talking about, so he just throws something out there.

"That would be nice, but," Phichit continues. He's mostly just sobbing now, "The prime minister called me."

"What? Why?"

"He asked if I wanted to be the flag-bearer at the Olympics!" Phichit starts bawling again, but Yuuri is smiling wide now.

"Phichit that's amazing!" Yuuri beams and he turns a couple of heads at the rink.

"I know! I'm so happy! Yuuri! People will know who I am!"

"Phichit, I'm sure a lot of people know who you are."

After that Phichit can't really seem to hold himself together and Yuuri spends five minutes just listening to him cry. Yuuri almost sheds a tear or two himself. All of Phichit's dreams seem to be coming true.

* * *

After that, more and more flag-bearers get announced. Yuuri is unsurprised that he isn't chosen, and the job goes to a speed skater who's at least twice as popular in Japan than he is. Yuuri finds out about the Russian flag bearer through Yakov. They all do. Including the flag-bearer.

"I got a call from the Russian Federation," Yakov says one day. It's that time in the day where Georgi and Yuuri are finishing up, and Mila, Yurio and Viktor are getting ready for practice, "They want Yura to be our flag-bearer for the Olympics."

They all turn to Yurio whose face is starting to melt into something unrecognizable. His eyes begin to shimmer, and Yuuri thinks he might be holding back a scream.

"I think that means 'yes'," Viktor says after a few seconds of silence, and Yurio fusiously nods in agreement.

Russia is big in winter sports, and their last five flag bearers have all returned with a medal. For the Sochi Olympics four years ago, they had chosen their national hero, Viktor Nikiforov, to represent them, and he had brought home gold both in the team event and the individual. Now the burden falls to Yurio, but Yuuri knows that he is up for it. His early senior debut, his slowly paced second senior season, it has all been in preparation for these Olympics. Yuuri might be aiming for gold, but he wouldn't mind sharing the podium with Yurio, in fact, he'd be happy to.

And so, the week of the European championship arrives. Even though it takes place in Russia, Yuuri still stays in Saint Petersburg, while Viktor and the rest of the team fly to Moscow.

* * *

 **How are you guys liking the weekly uploads? It makes me feel less bad for forgetting this fic that there is a schedule now haha**


	16. Europeans: Viktor & Chris

**Yikes, sorry I didn't get this up Friday, I was simply too busy to upload. I'll keep my schedule for this Friday though :D**

 **Fact of the Chapter: The last of the five components is Interpretation of Music, commonly just referred to as Interpretation. As the name states, it is how a skater interprets the music and how clearly this interpretation comes across. I don't think much is needed to explain this, but if you want a visual representation, I'd suggest watching Yuzuru Hanyu's two versions of Romeo and Juliet (2011-12 FS & 2013-14 FS). Of course, the music piece are different, but the basic story of Romeo and Juliet is of course the same, yet, you'll see a stark difference in the way Yuzuru portrays the characters. In the 2011-12 version, he portrays the character Romeo, while in the 2013-14 version, which also happens to be his first Olympic FS, he portrays both Romeo and Juliet. A skaters costume can greatly help set the tone of the interpretation, but in the end, it's all down to how the skater performs the program. **

**Skaters who I personally think have good interpretation skills are Yuzuru Hanyu (obviously), Shoma Uno, Satoko Miyahara, Mikhail Kolyada (classical music especially) and Javier Fernandez.**

* * *

"Viktor~!" Viktor hears Chris call as soon as he steps foot into the hotel and practically gets assaulted by his friend, "Congrats on second place. Would you mind settling for silver this week too?"

Instead of hugging Chris back, Viktor puts some distance between them to look at him disapprovingly: "Silver?" He says outrageously and dramatically, "Two silvers in a row is a enough for me, I think I'm gonna have to take that European title back, my friend."

"Take it back?" Chris says, equally as dramatic, "I'm getting so used to it though. I'm afraid you'll have to fight me for it."

Viktor puts up his fists and Chris does the same. The move and hop around for a bit, playfully hitting each other like the puppies they aren't supposed to be. In the end, the fight is inconclusive.

"I guess we'll have to take this to the ice," Chris remarks.

"I suppose he have."

"But you should do your best," Chris says a bit more serious now, "I want to beat you in Pyeongchang as well, but I can't do that if you don't make it there."

"We have three spots," Viktor reminds him, "I'm sure I can manage to place in a favorable position. I mean, what would they do, not send their reigning Olympic champion?"

"Sochi was four years ago, mon amie," Chris says and lifts an eyebrow playfully, "And with that half year out, and, of course, your conflict of interest, you might not be a favorable candidate."

"Conflict of interest?"

"Yuuri."

Viktor gasps theatrically: "Are you saying that I, Viktor Nikiforov, living legend, national hero of the motherland itself, would prioritize Yuuri's victory over my own?"

"Definitely."

"Outrageous! I cannot believe this betrayal. And from my closest friend as well. Ah. I feel like Caesar himself as he was stabbed in the back by his most trusted."

"I'm sure that is painful. Want to grab some lunch?"

"Sure."

Viktor has been to Moscow many times, and takes Chris to one of his favorite Chinese restaurants (Chinese because Viktor will stand by the fact that Russian food is disgusting). Their conversations are surprisingly light considering the fact that they have a competition coming up, but Viktor supposes it is the Olympic effect. As much as any competitors would like to win, the European Championship is simply too close to the Olympics themselves for anyone to give it their all. The Russians might in fact be the only ones who have anything on the line, as it serves as part of the selection process for the Olympics. But for someone like Chris, who has his Olympic spot secured, the competition is merely a warm-up for Pyeongchang.

* * *

The days go by, and finally the competition begins. Competitiveness hangs in the air like a thin fog and though Viktor himself would like to put up good results, he finds his mind elsewhere. The Olympics looming only a short month away weighs heavy on everyone's minds, but Viktor also has Four Continents to consider. It had been important for Viktor that Yuuri attend the competition, despite how dangerously close to the Olympics it was held. Yuuri was more likely to keep his eyes on the next competition, and Four Continents was a way to keep him distracted from the pressure of the Olympics.

Viktor doesn't know whether or not it is a blessing that Yuuri had been at the Sochi Olympics. On one hand, it means that he is familiar with the unique atmosphere of the competition, but… Viktor couldn't help but wonder if all of Yuuri's memories of the Olympics will hold him back. Four years ago, Yuuri had succumbed to the pressure, and only barely qualified for the free skate, of which he finished twentieth. He had been younger and more inexperienced then, but Viktor knows that Yuuri would have compared the two of them. At twenty-one, Yuuri had placed twentieth at the Olympics. At twenty-one, Viktor had won his first Olympic gold.

Viktor often tells Yuuri that their stories are different, but Yuuri is a competitive person, even more so than Viktor, and once his mind is made up, it is make or break. And Viktor unfortunately knows that that is quite literal. Viktor doesn't know if Yuuri would settle for silver or bronze, he's been afraid to ask. He's afraid that Yuuri will say it's gold or nothing. Perhaps Chris is right. Viktor is conflicted, because while he likes to win, maybe his desire to see Yuuri at the top of the podium is even greater. And perhaps that is because a victory for Yuuri, is a victory for himself. Maybe, in the end, he is quite selfish, and it's not just about Yuuri, but just as much about him. The joy he has found in coaching and choreographing for others is something he had never anticipated, and he calls himself lucky that he gets to both coach and compete at the same time. It gives him the opportunity to treasure them both, and he knows it will help him let go of competing when that time comes.

But Viktor shouldn't let his mind wander and get caught up in thoughts about Yuuri, and the Olympics, and competitions in the future. Viktor has three competitions left and he is determined to make the most of them.

He goes first in the short program, and finds it difficult to get his mind focused. It's not like at NHK Trophy where his emotions were outside his control. Here he finds it hard to completely get into the mindset of competition. He has felt it in the others too. Viktor thinks, before the music starts, that the wonderful short programs displayed at the Finals, will not make an appearance at this competition.

Viktor's first jump is almost like a wake-up call. Viktor rarely misses his triple axels, but his inability to focus makes him over rotate and he has to put down his hand to keep from falling out right. The only comfort he can take is that he can use the blunder as part of his performance, and he displays a slightly sillier personality than usual at the beginning of the program. The significance of the silliness will probably go unnoticed by most, but Yakov at least will understand. Viktor used to trip over his own feet a worryingly amount when he was younger. He still does, from time to time, and Yuuri likes to joke that Viktor was born to wear skates, since he clearly hasn't mastered the art of walking.

The combination is even worse than triple axel. He pops the quad toe into a double, and only just remembers that, yes, this is a competition, so he can't start over, and puts the triple toe at the end of it. Viktor tries to calm his frustration as he moves into the two spins, and by the time he enters the second half, he finally gets into character. The quad flip is a welcome friend, and Viktor honestly doesn't know what he would do without it. Viktor can hear from the reaction of the crowd that it's the first successful jump, and he enters the last spin with added drama.

The step sequence in this program is one of Viktor's favorites. No matter his mood, Viktor's ability to express the raw emotions of confliction, stagnation and the feeling of being utterly lost, never wavers. And it all leads up to that final encounter with Yuuri where he finally regains, or perhaps even finds for the first time, a purpose and something bigger than himself. Something, someone, he can devote himself to for the rest of his life. Someone who is not as temporary as figure skating. Viktor is certain, that even if everything that could go wrong in the program did, indeed, go as wrong as it could, then this step sequence is more than enough to make people forget.

Viktor greets the crowd as they give him applause, but knows that he has a lot to make up when it's time for the free skate. Surprisingly, Yakov says nothing. Perhaps the frustration is written all over Viktor's face as they settle in the Kiss & Cry. If anything, Viktor realizes, the result of this program, and the frustration he feels, makes him certain that he is no less competitive than a couple of years ago. At Europeans, the year before he met Yuuri, he remembers so clearly how he wished to not be in first after the short program, just to have something to fight for. He remembers wishing that he wouldn't win, just so that winning would feel a little less… or a little more… or just something different than what it did then.

96 points is Viktor's score. His scores for technical and presentation are almost identical. A rare sight in the current landscape of figure skating. Nonetheless, Viktor finds it hard to smile for the camera when his scores are announced.

Viktor still takes first place. Even if his standards are to score 100 or more points in the short, he mustn't forget that he can probably count the people who have scored 100 points in the short program on two hands.

Emil is next, and Viktor misses half of his skate as he finds his way to the green room. Going into the second half, Emil's technical score is pretty high, suggesting that mistakes have been none to minimal. Emil's Scheherazade program is Viktor's favorite from him. Viktor thinks that he would like to choreograph for Emil someday. Although Emil isn't a natural performer, Viktor can't help but feel that none of his choreographers have taken advantage of his bright and loud personality. It all seems a little subdued when he skates, which is a shame. Sometimes Viktor thinks Emil displays more personality during his thirty seconds in the Kiss & Cry than during his three minutes on the ice. Emil makes his (possibly) first mistake on the triple axel, and pops it into a double. Despite his technical prowess, Emil has always had problems with second half jumps. It's a problem which will probably go away with time as he gets stronger and his endurance naturally increases.

Emil's score goes below Viktor's. Although Emil won the technical battle, Viktor's always high presentation scores were more than enough to keep him in the lead.

It's Chris next, and he starts his program strong. The quad lutz that opens the program is as good as ever, and even though he pops the second part of his combination from a triple to a double, it will hardly hurt him as long as the rest of the program is clean. Of course, Chris is entertaining, seductive and precise in his movements, and with a clean skate, Chris could gain better presentation scores than Viktor today.

Unfortunately for Chris, and possibly to the good luck of everyone else, Chris falls on the triple axel. It happens just as Emil walks into the green room, and he comments that the triple axels are cursed today. Viktor mumbles an agreement. Emil's relationship with the axel is historically iffy, but both Chris and Viktor love the jump. Clearly, Emil is right about the axel curse haunting the rink today.

Although Chris' presentation score falls below Viktor's, they can't save him this time. Chris' score is just below 100, and Viktor scoots over on the couch, so that Chris can sit in the middle, when he arrives. When he does, he is carrying a big, red heart plushie which he settles in his lap and Viktor lets his head fall into it and groans. Chris merely laughs at him.

"Shouldn't you be paying attention to Georgi?"

"Ugh," Viktor answers. He's seen Georgi's program so many times, he doesn't need to watch it again. He kind of stopped caring when he popped his opening quad salchow.

"You know, it's not fun to beat you, when you don't do your best."

"Got distracted," Viktor explains.

"Hmm~ Thinking about Yuuri again?" Chris says knowingly, and Viktor tries to hit him in response. Since he refuses to lift his head from the pillow, he doesn't quite succeed.

"Not like that," he retorts, and Chris laughs at him again.

Viktor turns his head to look at the monitor in front of them, and both him and Emil make a surprised sound when Georgi lands the triple axel. When Chris questions them, they both just mutter 'curse'.

Unfortunately for Georgi, being done with the jumps doesn't equal being done making mistakes. He stumbles during the steps sequence, barely keeping himself from falling, but has to give up on the sequence to start his final spin in time. The mistake proves costly as he doesn't even make it above 90 points, leaving the top three unchanged.

Michele on the other hand seems to have put everything together. The program is flawless, and finally, as Viktor watches his version of Gypsy Dance, he doesn't feel Sara's influence. The program is owned by Michele alone. Viktor adds to the list of people who have scored over 100 points in the short program, as Michele goes into first, pushing Viktor into third, with only one skater left to go.

Despite Viktor knowing that it is a random draw that has decided the order in which they skate, it feels a little more than coincidence that Yurio skates last. Europeans is not only in Russia, where Yurio was crowned the new national champion, but in Moscow, his hometown. Viktor has seen very little of Yurio since they arrived, as the boy has spent as much time with his beloved grandfather as possibly. In the stands, his grandfather is accompanied by his daughter, Yurio's mother. Although their relationship is somewhat strained, Viktor knows they still love each other and Yurio is touched that she has found time in her busy schedule to come and support him.

Viktor doesn't know much about Yurio's family life. Most of his knowledge comes from what is available to the public, and the rest is guesswork from what little Yurio has let slip. His mother had had him when she was barely eighteen. She was a famous Russian idol, and to support Yurio, she had let him live with her own father, while she poured all her hours into her craft to earn the money needed to raise a child.

Given his young age, it was no wonder that Yurio had not quite understood that his mother had only had the choice between working so much they barely saw each other and giving him up to foster care. But perhaps Yurio is beginning to understand. As his mother got older, she began working as a manager for younger idols, but the pay wasn't enough to support the three of them. From the time Yurio entered the junior ranks, he became the main provider of their family and spent less and less time with his own family. Although his bond with his grandfather was the strongest, he was perhaps finally at a place where he could understand the choices his mother made.

As Yurio skates out, the camera zooms in on two people in the crowd who cheer proudly for him. Viktor can't help but compare the mother to her child. The resemblance is striking. No one is unaware that she is a mother cheering for her son.

Yurio's short program is the highlight of the evening. It is loud, energetic and inclusive. Yurio performs it with confidence and entertains the crowd from beginning to end. He makes only the smallest of mistakes as his quad salchow gets bigger than usual, and to control it, he has to put a triple toe on the end of it, instead of his usual triple loop. It's a mistake so small that it will go by mostly unnoticed, and Yurio carries on with the program.

As soon as the program is over, he pumps his fist in the air and smiles victoriously. The crowd roars and with no one to follow, the cheers never seem to stop. Yurio greets the crowd, a big smile on his face and allows himself to bask in the spotlight. He's certain to take the lead, and Viktor feels a weird sense of pride as he watches the young skater slowly surpassing him.

The small mistake didn't go unnoticed by the technical panel, but Yurio seems fixated on his presentation score. It's finally above 45 points, and Yurio easily widens the gap between him and his competitors, leaving Viktor outside the top three. It's an interesting position.

* * *

Viktor feels kind of relieved that he's not in the top three, only because he's quite disappointed with the result, and being fourth after the short program gives him a reason to avoid the media. Only the top three are required to go to the press conference, and Viktor can easily dodge the journalists trying to catch him as he leaves for the hotel.

What Viktor doesn't like is that he wants to call Yuuri, hear his voice and just feel a little closer to him, even though he knows that he can't. Yuuri is currently on a plane to Taipei City, where Four Continents is being held. Viktor will join him as soon as Europeans is over and done with, but for now, he will have to do without Yuuri. If it's a blessing or a curse that Viktor does not have Yuuri's soothing voice near, he will never know. Viktor knows that he can't keep depending on Yuuri to pick him up whenever he falls apart (not that he is currently falling apart), but sometimes having Yuuri tell him that he 'better come home with a medal' is extremely encouraging. Instead, all he can do is pretend to know what Yuuri would say to him if he were here.

He orders dinner to his hotel room (knowing that Yuuri's number one concern is his health), and halfway through it, Chris enters despite not having a key to the door. He settles on the bed, two empty champagne glasses in hand, gives one to Viktor and pours from the bottle he brought with him.

"We shouldn't drink," Viktor says and tastes the champagne. It's pretty good.

"The free skate is in two days, I don't think a single glass of champagne will hurt us."

They talk loosely about the events of the day, until Chris brings up the free skate.

"You're adding the lutz right?"

"Yes," Viktor says, "Let's hope people aren't as smart as you, so that they'll be surprised."

"I don't get it," Chris wonders out loud.

"The story-"

"No, hear me out," Chris interrupts, "I understand what you're doing. Adding a new quad each competition, in the order that you learned them. You're telling your story in figure skating. That much was obvious by the time you performed in NHK-"

"I think most people got it by the Finals..." Viktor mumbles, and takes a guilty sip of the champagne when Chris glares at him for interrupting.

"As I was saying, you are using the quads to show your progression, but what I don't get is why add the lutz now. You have four types of quads, therefore, this is that last time you can add to the performance, but wouldn't it be better to save that for the Olympics? I know you did the loop at Nationals, but by the state of it, it doesn't seem all that reliable. Doing a program layout you haven't used in competition for the first time at the Olympics, surely, even you can't be that crazy?"

Viktor smiles mischievously, and the look in Chris' face changes as he slowly begins to understand. Viktor is even crazier than anyone is willing to imagine.

"Well," Chris says and downs the rest of his champagne, "I look forward to your future performances."

Viktor smiles even as Chris leaves and closes the door to his room. Viktor has been known to surprise the audience throughout his career. There is no way he will stop now.

* * *

The ladies short program is wild, as Mila once again beats Sara in the short program.

* * *

Michele opens the last group of the men's free skate. The Italian aria fills the arena as Michele skates his heart out. The cheers are loud, when he lands his jumps, and Viktor thinks the gasps would have been just as audible had he made mistakes. But Mickey makes no mistakes. The program flows and soars, and he lands jump after jump. There are things to work on, yes, but the five who are to follow can only hope to put on a performance as good as Mickey. He takes the lead.

Having to follow a perfect performance in your home country is no easy task, and Viktor is almost unsurprised when Georgi stumbles on his first jump. He has a lot of ground to make up, and unless he wants to rely on others' mistakes, he would need a flawless performance. The drama is certainly there, and a girl in the front row almost faints as Georgi seemingly picks her out of the crowd to be his Christine. But performance can only take him so far as he stumbles on a triple flip towards the end of the program, putting his hands on the ice to recover. The free skate itself was good enough, but Viktor doubts he'll be able to hold onto to that silver medal he's currently in position for.

The cheers of the crowd speak of who the next skater is, and Yurio takes to the ice confidently. The tight red jacket with the golden buttons, threads and patterns make him look regal. Like a young prince ready to rule and conquer. The music starts and Yurio owns it like the royal he is.

Yurio's theme this season is _passion_. His short program is a visual image of his own passions of music and skating brought together into one. The free skate, a more subdued passion, a passion of beauty and strength, taught to him by Lilia and brought to light by all who love him. The piece is loving like Agape, fierce like Appasionato and like his short program, it shows who he is… Until he falls on the quad salchow. That, Viktor is pretty sure, is not who Yurio is. The mistake, being late in the program, possibly takes a lot out of Yurio and his fatigue shows as he doubles the last part of his final combination jump and his closing triple flip. Viktor frowns. The program is very demanding, and Yurio has struggled with it all season. Especially after he started going for the four quads. Viktor wonders if there is anything they can change before the Olympics to make it less straining.

As Yurio finishes the program, he looks… less angry than Viktor would have thought. Exiting the rink, he jumps a single salchow in the place where he fell on the quad, possibly going over the mistake he made in his head. Yurio easily beats Georgi's score, but falls just short of overtaking Michele. Once again, Viktor feels that Yurio is calmer than what he expected from him. Viktor reminds himself that Yurio is growing up.

Viktor watches Emil's performance partly through a monitor and partly in person as he prepares for his own skate. Emil's stamina is amazing for someone as young as him (despite how old the beard makes him look), and Viktor is no less impressed when he lands his fourth quad perfectly. His stamina seems to fade after that. He misses the planned combination on the triple axel when he falls on it, and a stumble on his second attempt at the jump makes him incapable of completing the combination. The mistake will be costly. He finishes the program looking extremely exhausted, but he should take the quads as an achievement and improve for the Olympics. If Viktor was his coach he would move one of his combinations into the first half to minimize mistakes made by fatigue. But Viktor isn't his coach, he is his competitor. This is not time to be thinking about how others can improve, only himself.

Viktor warms up while Emil waits for his scores, and the audience is already cheering him on, waving banners and Russian flags with his name on them. They realize it all as well as he does. This is his first farewell of many. His final competitive performance on home ice. Viktor thought it would make him feel sad, he's always enjoyed performing at home, yet he can only smile as his name gets announced and it's his time to skate.

Just before the music starts, Viktor makes a last minute decision and instead of facing the judging panel, he turns his back to them. He looks towards the audience instead and gives them a smile as he takes his starting pose and closes his eyes. The music starts, Viktor keeps his eyes closed and reaches out for the crowd. He moves slowly at first, perhaps slower than usual as he keeps his eyes closed for as long as he dares. He tries to listen to the crowd and the music and the sound of his skates moving across the worn ice. He opens his eyes just before his opening quad toe, almost blinded by the bright lights, he takes off, turns in the air and lands smoothly back on the ice. He lets his eyelids fall again momentarily, taking in the applause before he moves on.

He continues in a trance like state, ignores as he doubles the quad salchow, and moves onto the flip. He jumps that one with his eyes closed and lets the music guide him. The tempo of the piano increases before the lutz, and he speeds up. The quad lutz is finally back in his competitive repertoire (not counting Nationals) and he smiles as the applause drowns out his music in the few seconds after he has landed the jump successfully.

Next a spin, a triple-triple combination, the step sequence, Viktor works to express his emotions, his interpretation of the music, the legacy he is leaving behind. Viktor, perhaps, loses the focus necessary to do his jumps properly, because he feels his blade land on uneven ice as he completes his triple loop, struggles to hold onto it and falls. He pulls himself together for the triple axel combination, which is much better. The program enters its climax during the choreographic sequence, and Viktor almost forgets himself as he pours his last energy into it. A poor decision, really, as he has one more jump, and he really shouldn't be surprised when he underrotates his closing triple axel and takes another fall. Oh well, Viktor is still satisfied with the first half of the program. As he takes his final position, the crowd doesn't seem all that disappointed either. One look at Yakov, however, tells him that his own satisfaction won't save him from what is surely going to be a three hour lecture. Viktor has to resist the urge to groan and roll his eyes knowing that the world is still watching him closely.

Instead he settles in for the small pre-lecture Yakov gives him in the Kiss & Cry. Something about 'how dare he turn his back on the judges' and 'he could have gotten hurt closing his eyes' and probably something about the falls. Viktor finds his water bottle much more interesting.

As the scores appear, Viktor smiles knowing he has secured himself a medal. First in the free skate, but not quite enough to catch up to Michele. He beats Yurio by a mere two points, and is beginning to enjoy this back and forth they seem to have established by now. Yurio might soon be the official front runner of Russian figure skating, but Viktor will be sure to make him earn that title. After all, Viktor has held that position for over a decade, and while he is more than happy to let someone take it, he won't just hand it over. He smiles to the camera and hopes that Yurio feels his challenge.

Viktor stays in the Kiss & Cry for most of Chris' performance. He likes watching Chris live, and with the way the competition has been going, he feels that Chris could quite easily take the competition. He would bump Yurio off of the podium if he took a medal, but Viktor would quite selfishly prefer sharing a podium with Chris than Yurio. The risks of getting bitten are far smaller in that scenario.

Chris starts off strong - he usually does at this point in the season. The time for sloppy mistakes are over, even if Viktor isn't expecting a completely clean skate. Chris is likely saving that for the Olympics, Viktor thinks, as if Chris is only allowed one clean performance every season and he's merely saving it for the prime opportunity.

Viktor grimaces as Chris falls on a triple loop. It's more or less the same mistake Viktor made, and he already knows he's going to blame the ice when he is two hours into Yakov's lecture, based purely on Chris' mistake.

Chris shakes it off quickly and moves into a spin, which is really the best way for Chris to make people forget that he just fell. The rest of the program goes more or less without a hinge. Viktor suspects that Chris' final quad wasn't quite what it should be, but it doesn't disturb the program and as Chris enters his final spin, the crowd is eagerly singing along to the Elvis song playing. Viktor goes to the green room, knowing that Chris has defended his title.

* * *

Chris enters his hotel room again that night. How he does it, Viktor will never know, but this time Chris interrupts a skype call.

"Are you talking to Yuuri?" Chris asks as he settles on the bed besides Viktor and waves to Yuuri. He shoves a glass of champagne in Viktor's hand, "To celebrate my victory," he explains.

"Hey now, what makes you think I want to celebrate you beating me?"

"Because I say so," Chris says and cheers to Yuuri, who sleepily cheers with him despite not having anything to drink. Viktor drinks for him. Yuuri gives his congratulations to Chris.

"You must be disappointed in your fiancé, Yuuri," Chris teases and Viktor gives him a little shove. Only a little because he doesn't want champagne to be spilled all over his bed, "Coming back with a bleak bronze medal."

"You got bronze at the Finals," Yuuri counters cheekily and Chris laughs.

"Touché."

"Ah~ But you are right," Yuuri sighs dramatically, "And here I hoped that we could both win gold. It seems I will have to do that all by myself. What a shame. I thought Viktor loved when we matched."

"You are both so mean to me!" Viktor protests. Yuuri had been so cute before Chris had interrupted, and now he's stuck with his little snake fiancé. Yuuri is lucky that Viktor loves him. And snakes. Viktor loves snakes, but that's a different topic.

"Viktor, just admit that you like it," Chris says and gets closer. He eyes Yuuri and plants a kiss on Viktor's cheek.

"I'll fight you for that," Yuuri says, and is suddenly less sleepy than before, even if it's in the middle of the night where he is.

Chris laughs and suddenly, the two of them are in deep conversation, while Viktor feels left out. Even if their conversation is about Viktor himself.

Yuuri ends up saying good night after another twenty minutes, sleep finally overtaking him. Viktor drinks the rest of the champagne in protest, claiming that Chris stole Yuuri from him.

"You'll see him in a couple of days," Chris smiles, "Besides, it seems like he will kill me the next time we meet, so I deserved some of his time." Chris then points to a costume that hangs in Viktor's hotel room, "Just curious, can you still fit in that?"

"What are you implying?" Viktor bites back.

"That you've gotten taller, and probably a little more muscle-y. Although I really can't tell, you've always had such lean body. Not really fit for muscle and quads."

Viktor throws a pillow at him, but answers the question anyway, "I made a couple of alterations so that it fits. Can't really skate the program without it and it seemed like a waste to remake it when I already had exactly what I needed."

"You are full of surprises this season," Chris says, "Even if it's not gold, I'm glad to have you back."

* * *

Mila and Sara tie in the total score, meaning that Sara snatches the gold medal from Mila's greedy fingers. Their stage has been set for a final showdown at Pyeongchang.

* * *

Viktor packs his stuff so that he can leave immediately after the exhibition. If this hadn't been his last season, he would probably have skipped the event, but for his last skate in Russia, he feels that the audience deserves it.

The exhibition he has chosen is a free skate from his early senior days. It was the free skate that earned him his very first senior title as the European Champion, and he skates it in the exact same costume as he did then.

As the spotlight engulfs him, the crowd cheers as they recognize the program and anticipates what comes next. The music to The Swan starts playing.

* * *

 **Scores**

 **Chris - SP: 99.59 FS: 200.64 = 300.23**

 **Michele - SP: 101.68 FS: 193.11 = 294.79**

 **Viktor - SP: 96.00 FS: 198.15 = 294.15**

 **Yurio - SP: 106.35 FS: 186.48 = 292.83**

 **Emil - SP: 92.17 FS: 189.42 = 281.59**

 **Georgi - SP: 87.91 FS: 191.11 = 279.02**


	17. Four Continents: The Final Trial

**So basically I went to Japan and forgot to upload so, whoops.**

 **Fact of the Chapter: The first man to land a quad (toe) was Kurt Browning in 1988, while the first woman to land a quad (salchow) was Miki Ando in 2002, though the first senior woman to land a quad (salchow) was Elizabet Tursenbaeva in 2019.**

* * *

Yuuri collapses on his bed after a day of tough practice. Celestino has kindly been supervising his training sessions, while Viktor is still in Moscow. Lilia had offered to go with him, but Yuuri insisted that she go to Moscow for Yurio's sake. Therefore, Yuuri came alone. Of course, he isn't completely alone, Phichit had greeted him as soon as he landed in the airport, and they had practically been inseparable ever since. The only reason that Phichit wasn't with him now, was because Celestino had, rightfully, made sure that their practice hours were different. Just in case they were distracted.

Yuuri groans and rolls onto his side, fishing his phone out his pocket to update himself. Viktor would be here in a couple of hours, just in time to join him and Phichit (and anyone Phichit brought along) for dinner. But with no Viktor and no Phichit, Yuuri didn't really have much to do, so he lazily looked through his social media.

#viktortheories had been trending a couple of days ago due to a mysterious video that had been uploaded to Yurio's instagram. The video had no sound, and the description had been a mere ' _why_ ' on Yurio's part. Yuuri digs up the video from Yurio's feed to watch it again. It never fails to make him smile (and he has watched it perhaps one or fifty times to many). The video is of Viktor and Chris in a hotel lobby. They are holding up their fists, as if in a boxing match, and they jump back and forth as they tap each other lightly on the shoulder. After fifteen seconds of this, they collapse in laughter and the video moves over to Yurio facepalming. Both Viktor and Chris have denied him (and everyone else) an explanation and Yuuri is almost certain that it's because they literally can't remember what they were "fighting" over.

Common theories are that they were either fighting over Yuuri's love despite Chris having a boyfriend (people argue that Chris is totally the type who'd love a threesome), or that they were deciding where to dine as they had later been seen at a Chinese restaurant together. This had then let to weird rumours about Chris getting married and asking Viktor to be his best man, or Viktor and Chris having an affair. Yuuri had liked several tweets about this, and retweeted one, commenting how sad and betrayed he felt.

Yuuri had, of course, made some theories of his own, and he was weirdly confident when he tweeted that the fight had obviously been between which of them had the cutest pet. This had snowballed into its own drama.

First, Yuuri had made a poll to prove that Makkachin was the cutest. He gave his followers the choice between: _Makkachin (the right answer)_ and _Princess (the wrong answer)._ To no one's surprise, Makkachin won handedly. But then Phichit got involved, and when Phichit gets involved, it escalates.

Phichit had then argued that it wasn't fair to crown Makkachin the cutest pet if the only contest was Princess. So Phichit invited every single skater with a pet to join in on the contest.

Some highlights of the pet competition included; questioning whether JJ's snakes were cute or should be disqualified for not fitting the category, Phichit writing a ten page essay about why his hamsters should win because when you put all the pets in hats, his hamsters were clearly superior, and, of course, the nerve-wrecking finale between Makkachin and Seung-gil's husky Hwan. It had been close, but, as deserved, Makkachin took the crown. Yuuri had then posted his instagram post of the month, featuring Makkachin in a celebratory hat and Yuuri showering their poodle in glitter. It had been worth it all just so that Yuuri could include the caption: _I guess Makkachin is the cutest in hats after all._ Viktor had been weirdly proud of him that day.

Nothing has really happened since that, and Yuuri scrolls through his instagram looking at posts of people getting ready for Pyeongchang. Looking at his calendar, Yuuri knows that it is close, but he doesn't really feel it. He can't fully focus on the Olympics when he has another competition coming up. As much as the Olympics are on his mind and as much as his country is hyping up his potential victory, Yuuri is competitive. Yuuri wants to win every single competition he competes in, and Four Continents is a competition he has yet to conquer. He has a couple of medals from this competition. His silver from last year and two bronze medals won under Celestino's guidance are both somewhere in their apartment, although Yuuri isn't exactly sure where. Neither him nor Viktor are ones to display every single medal they've ever won (It would be overwhelming to say the least). They have a select few in some places, like Yuuri's gold from Helsinki and Viktor's two Olympic gold medals, but putting them all up would be overkill. Viktor also has a trophy from a Russian national championship on one of his bookshelves and he has been pestering Yuuri about putting one of his up as well. Yuuri had taken all his trophies the next day, send them to his parents and let them do whatever they wanted with them. According to Mari they have displayed them in the inn to attract customers. Typical. At least they were doing some good there.

Yuuri ends up falling asleep, his phone still open on his twitter feed, and is awoken by Phichit who belly flops onto him, startling him awake.

"Five more minutes," Yuuri mumbles, and Phichit pushes him onto the floor.

"We don't have five minutes, we have to pick up your fiancé at the airport."

"He can handle himself," Yuuri says from the floor, making no attempt to get up. He's doing this mostly to annoy Phichit.

"Romance is so dead," Phichit sighs, and Yuuri wonders for not the first time why he surrounds himself with such drama queens.

"Fine," Yuuri groans and gets up, "Lead the way."

They borrow a car from… somewhere… or is it someone? Yuuri doesn't know, all he knows is that Phichit has gotten them a car and he's now driving them to the airport. They spend the drive listening (and badly singing along) to a variety of k-pop music. Phichit had deemed it of the utmost important that Yuuri at least knew some of the biggest names in the industry when were going to Korea. Of course, this was just a bad excuse for Phichit to blast his favorite music, because Yuuri had become familiar with k-pop when they two of them had been roommates. And Viktor listened to all kinds of music, so the only thing that had really changed in Yuuri's life was that Viktor would sometimes play classical music, jazz or whatever he was in the mood for, while Phichit had tended to play his favorite EXO songs on loop for days.

Yuuri was much less adventurous when it came to music. He liked to listen to the same song for hours on end, and it used to drive Phichit mad (hence why he was usually in charge of music). Viktor was a lot more tolerant to it, especially if he liked the song, but on the few occasions that Yuuri had gotten obsessed with a song that wasn't exactly of Viktor's liking, his fiancé had just politely stuck some headphones onto Yuuri's head and let him listen to it by himself. Yuuri had had some fun with acting hurt over Viktor's actions, and had subdued Viktor to a day's worth of one stupid musical song being played until Viktor was literally on his knees begging for release.

In the airport, Viktor spots them first and tackles Yuuri on the spot. It's only because Yuuri is so used to Viktor dramatically running into his arms that he keeps himself standing upright and instead supports his fiancé as he has draped himself around Yuuri's shoulders, his feet no longer touching the ground, as he hugs Yuuri half to death.

"I missed you too," Yuuri says and makes no attempt to stop Viktor before more people start staring at them. Hell, Yuuri is profusely aware that pictures are being taken of the two of them. He has no doubt that Phichit is among the ones taking pictures of figure skating's favorite couple (Yuuri only allows himself to call them that as they were crowned as such in some magazine that both Viktor and Phichit read religiously), but Yuuri would be more surprised if their touching reunion didn't make headlines in only a couple of hours. There are, after all, quite a few reporters present in the airport, all of them having been aware of Viktor's estimated time of arrival.

It doesn't seem to bother Viktor much, nothing really does these days, as Viktor has seemed to agree with himself that in the world of skating, and probably just in the world generally, no one can tell him what to do. Yuuri would like to respectfully disagree just because he knows that Viktor would do anything he asked, but right now that doesn't really matter. They seem to usually want the same things anyway.

In the end, it's Phichit who tells them that they need to keep moving, only because they have a dinner reservation, and they shouldn't miss that just because they were hugging in an airport. In the car, Viktor and Phichit seem to bond over some newly released k-pop song and Yuuri absentmindedly sits in the backseat, going through the social media already fangirling over the reunion in the airport.

Since they go straight from airport to restaurant, Viktor still has all his things with him, things that he had had with him in Moscow, and Yuuri has never really been able to not poke fun at Viktor, especially when the opportunity is staring him in the face,

"So, Vitya," Yuuri says teasingly, and Viktor looks at him like he knows he's about to get roasted, which seems to please the hell out of Phichit, "Where's that bronze? Can I see it? I'm sure it will look wonderful in our apartment, maybe we could hang it above our bed?"

Phichit snickers, and Viktor is already begging for mercy, "Yuuri~ A bronze isn't that bad," he says pleadingly and Yuuri just raises an eyebrow.

"Oh, is it really? Because I could have sworn that after I won silver in Barcelona, you refused to kiss it, like you promised, and simply disregarded it. But I'm sure a bronze is more valuable than a silver. Especially in a competition such as Europeans that has every single one of the top skaters."

"I'll win gold next time!" Viktor blurts and Yuuri looks at him mischiviously, and Viktor realizes his mistake.

"That's certainly promising, but you only have two competitions left, gorgeous, and if I remember correctly, you would have to beat me to win gold," Yuuri lifts his head a little to give the impression that he is looking down at Viktor. It's all in good fun, and he knows that Viktor weirdly likes it when does things like this. It's part of the reason why Yuuri can even keep a straight face while doing it.

"I could beat you," Viktor says, confidence wavering, "I still have a record left, you know."

"A record that you haven't even been close to since you took a year off, I do wonder if you've gotten too old for this sport. It will have to be Yurio and Phichit who joins me on the Olympic podium, won't it?"

"Oh certainly," Phichit says, playing along, "And look what I found, the medal." Phichit holds up Viktor's bronze and before Viktor can make an attempt at snatching it from him, Yuuri drapes it around his own neck.

"Well, it certainly doesn't look as good as gold," Yuuri declares, while Viktor pouts, "But I assume a bronze is better than no medal at all." Yuuri takes a final look at Viktor, and finally stops teasing him, "You did make quite the comeback in the free skate, so it's not all bad. And I'm sure Yakov has already tortured you with a lecture-"

"You have no idea."

"-so you can have this back," Yuuri gives Viktor the medal, "And then you can watch as Phichit and I show you how it's done."

"Gold and silver," Phichit says and they high-five, silently promising that this will be the year where they get to stand together on that podium. Of course, Yuuri will be the one to take gold, he has a streak to uphold after all.

* * *

Yuuri has a sense of coming home when Viktor is back as his acting coach the next day. He'd been happy to have Celestino's guidance for a few days, but Yuuri has gotten so used to Viktor that it feels weird to not have him near as he prepares for competition. Viktor joins him on the ice today, which is unusual since Viktor is only here as a coach and usually stays by the boards in those situations.

"Breaking in new skates," Viktor explains when he asks, and Yuuri merely nods, noticing Viktor's caution as he skates around the rink. As competitive skaters, they always have a couple of boots broken in and ready to go, but Viktor must have worn his boots out quicker than usual. It's probably because of the added quads.

They focus on the salchow, again, Yuuri thinks bitterly. Two years ago, Yuuri had told Viktor that he had issues landing the jump in competition due to his lack of confidence, and while that wasn't entirely false, Viktor has opened his eyes to another issue. Yuuri just isn't fond of edge jumps. While both the flip and the lutz had come easier to Yuuri, the salchow remained a problem. The high fail rate of the jump, Yuuri knew, was a part of the problem. Discouraged by not being able to land it, Yuuri would often train other quads. For Yuuri, it was a way of doing difficult things without dwelling on the failed salchow. For Celestino, it had been about proving to Yuuri that if he could land a quad flip and a quad lutz in practice, then what was stopping him from doing a salchow in competition? In the end, it all came back to a lack of confidence.

But Yuuri had not experienced the same adversity with his two new quads as he had with the salchow. The flip had always been something he wanted to add, looking up to Viktor and all that, and the lutz had become a fun challenge in practice. Doing the quad in practice had given him the confidence to always land the triple in competition. But the salchow, Yuuri thought in anger, the salchow was his enemy. Yuuri told Viktor this during the summer, and had lightly suggested not doing it at all. He had a triple salchow as part of a combination anyway, so why bother with the quad. Especially if he was working on the lutz.

Viktor had looked at him quite disapprovingly, and told him that he couldn't just abandon a jump he'd worked so hard on for years. So Yuuri went back to practice, and had slowly improved on it, yet he hadn't landed it at all since the challenger cup in September. It was frustrating, and Viktor was definitely doing more to soothe his anger than to guide his practice.

At some point, Viktor was guiding Yuuri into a position, trying to give him a feeling of how to position his body before a salchow take-off (as if Yuuri didn't know) and someone (probably Phichit) had given them a whistle when Viktor had draped his own body over Yuuri's to put him in the right position. Yuuri is sure he would have blushed if he wasn't already so frustrated that he couldn't give a damn about romance and innuendoes.

Yuuri hadn't landed four clean quads this season, and that was his goal for this competition, and while he could easily just go with the layout he had ended up with at the Finals, Yuuri wanted to do this quad. Because Viktor was right, giving up on it, especially when he knew he could do it, was like admitting defeat. And Yuuri didn't give up that easily.

That same evening, Viktor makes dinner plans and Yuuri calms down as he takes a long shower. The competition starts in two days, and Yuuri wants three things. A quad salchow, four clean quads and a gold medal. He's not willing to compromise. But he is willing to put aside those thoughts for the evening as he exits the shower to find Viktor lying on the bed, still only wearing a bathrobe and sticking his leg up towards Yuuri.

"Yuuri, feel my legs," he exclaims and Yuuri lets out a snort. He then turns round to find some underwear, while he teasingly ignores Viktor and his pretty legs.

"Why? Did you just shave?"

"Rude, Yuuri, why would I shave these always hairless legs?"

"Oh that's right, you wouldn't shave them, you wax them," Yuuri replies, and finally turns to Viktor when he's put on some underwear, and has put his towel around his neck, his hair still dripping from the shower.

"I really don't know where you got that idea, my love."

"Then why should I touch them?"

"Are you saying you wouldn't if I didn't give you a reason?" Viktor smiles and stretches his leg so that his foot lands in Yuuri's hands.

"Maybe," Yuuri teases and lifts Viktor's foot to kiss it. Viktor gets momentarily distracted, but then retracts his leg, bringing Yuuri to the bed, he then places his legs in Yuuri's lap, giving him no choice but to comply with Viktor's wishes.

Yuuri runs his hand up from Viktor's ankle and continues until he is halfway up to his thigh. It's partly to tease Viktor, but also because Viktor's legs are damn smooth. There was probably a point to feeling Viktor up, but Yuuri finds himself absentmindedly messaging Viktor's legs, while his fiancé has also lost track of the conversation and is merely enjoying being spoiled.

"What did you do?" Yuuri asks after a while, still lightly messaging Viktor, although it is turning into more of Yuuri just running his hands up and down his legs, getting further up his legs with every stroke. They probably shouldn't get distracted, they have a dinner reservation and a competition soon, but Yuuri doesn't think it would hurt to please Viktor tonight… or right now.

"Got a new body lotion," Viktor moans under Yuuri's touch, "Lavender," he adds, and Yuuri parts Viktor's legs, settles between them and leans over his body. He plants a kiss on Viktor's neck and the faint scent of lavender lingers even after Yuuri pulls away.

He looks at Viktor, who smiles up at him. It's not the usual bright Viktor smile that dazzles the world, it's the smile Viktor gives Yuuri when he's happy, content and is waiting for Yuuri to kiss him. It's the smile Yuuri saw for the first time when Viktor had tackled him with a kiss after his free skate at the Cup of China. After that, Yuuri had treasured all the times Viktor had smiled at him like that. As they grew closer, the smile had appeared more often.

Yuuri leans down again to kiss Viktor on the lips, and Viktor pulls him closer, wrapping his arms around Yuuri's neck and pressing his legs against his sides. They stay like that for a while, exchanging feather light kisses until Yuuri moves his hands to remove Viktor's bathrobe.

"We have a dinner reservation," Viktor says weakly, not trying to stop Yuuri at all. Yuuri kisses him again.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No."

Yuuri kisses him again, moving down to his neck and chest, and further and further down. The robe is gone and Viktor moans.

* * *

They are not incredibly late for their dinner reservations, and they continue to enjoy their evening together. Viktor has continued to use his smooth beautiful legs against Yuuri, and has decided to wear a skirt that shows them off. As they eat, Viktor tangles their legs together under the table, while he makes Yuuri laugh and blush the entire night.

It's incredible, Yuuri thinks, how it easy it is to fall in love with Viktor over and over again.

* * *

Four Continents this year isn't the same as previous years. Most of the skaters attending are people who didn't make it to the Olympics, and unless a disaster should befall them, it seems that the top five have already been decided. With the absence of both JJ and Seung-gil (who are in full Olympic preparation mode), Yuuri and Phichit and joined by Leo, Guang-Hong and Otabek. Yuuri is also here with his countrymen, Minami and Takuya, but they can hardly stand up to Yuuri when he's having a bad day, so Yuuri counts them unlikely to break the top five.

But that doesn't mean that Yuuri is going to take this competition lightly, in fact, the number of potential medalist being so low, gives him a higher motivation to not only medal, but win the entire thing. Going by track-record, his biggest competition is Phichit, but Yuuri knows that he can't just aim to beat him. Otabek is a fierce competitor, Leo rarely makes mistakes and has components that can rival Yuuri's, and Guang-Hong has added to his technical arsenal.

Yuuri has the advantage though. He has quads, performance and skating skills of top class. All he needs is a clean performance.

The short program is in full swing and, to Yuuri's surprise, the leader before the final group is set to skate is Minami, who seems very pleased with himself. Joining the five competing for a medal is Takuya, who seems a little uncomfortable being in the last group. Yuuri gives him a few words of encouragement before they enter the rink, hoping that his well wishes don't sound too stiff. Takuya gives him a nervous smile and they are called to the rink for introductions.

Yuuri feels good in the warm-up. He jumps a number of triple axels in a row and revels in how effortless they feel. Viktor seems to be satisfied with his jumps as well and has very little to comment on.

Yuuri has time before it's his turn to skate, but misses most of Takuya's skate when he makes his way back to the warm-up area and pulls out his headphones. From what he glances of Takuya's skate as well as the technical score, it is not going too well. He looks more nervous than Yuuri has ever seen him, and despite being in the last group, he barely cracks the top ten when his score goes up. Yuuri feels a sting of sympathy as he looks at his disappointed face. He's been in that place too often himself.

Although Yuuri can't hear anything through his headphones, he tries to somewhat keep up with the scores. He's trying to learn to deal with knowing other's standings better, just in case he won't be able to avoid them at the Olympics. He knows that during the team event especially, it's hard to keep inside your own head, but Yuuri prefers just watching as the roars of the audience is simply too much for him to deal with.

Guang-Hong, who skates next, is completely clean. Granted, he doesn't include the quad flip in his short program, but it is impressive nonetheless. His smooth lines and fluent motions are beautiful even if Yuuri can't hear the music, and Guang-Hong has fast spins and impressive jumps. Yuuri is sure that the program is mesmerizing to the audience and Guang-Hong cheers as he takes first place.

Otabek is next and Yuuri knows that he is frustrated about not making it to the Finals this season. But the frustration has turned into determination, and Otabek lays down the next clean program. There is an intensity about Otabek that makes Yuuri regret his resolve to follow the competition, and he shudders, trying to shake the feeling of intimidation. Viktor seems to notice, and turns Yuuri's attention to a warm-up exercise with the two of them, and when Otabek gets his score, Viktor makes Yuuri put on his skates. Yuuri merely glances at the number, and sees as Otabek lays down the first one hundred plus score of the night.

The only thing Yuuri sees of Leo's program is the first element, a beautiful quad toe.

It's always slightly overwhelming when Yuuri takes off his headphones. Since no sound penetrates them, the vast amount of sources of sound hit Yuuri just a little harder than usual, but he is getting used to. Viktor squeezes his hand in support just before he moves onto the ice, and Yuuri glides onto the ice, making sure to not skate into any of the flower girls, picking up gifts for Leo.

Leo almost breaks the one hundred point barrier, but the high score smashes his personal best. The realization that it is possible that he's following three clean performances is less than comforting, but Yuuri forces himself to breathe as he skates to barrier, where Viktor is waiting for him.

"Don't put more pressure on yourself," Viktor tells him and Yuuri really wants to bark back that that's a lot easier said than done, but bites his tongue and settles for taking a deep breath. Viktor kisses his ring and sends him off.

The music starts and Yuuri reminds himself that his practice won't betray him. And sure enough, his triple axel is just as effortless as it was in the warm-up. Yuuri relaxes a little as he moves into the spins and he feels like he can pay a little more attention to the performance than he did before the triple axel. It's even more comforting for Yuuri to remind himself that he has several clean performances of this program under his belt, so there is really no reason for him to mess up now. No, his real challenge is the free skate.

Yuuri launches into the quad flip, but the landing feels horrible and he has to try his hardest to not fall or put his hands on the ice. Yuuri just gets to think _shit_ before his head start thinking out his emergency strategy. The butched landing made him fall behind his music, which gives him less time to set up for his quad toe - which has to be in combination now - if he wants to start the step sequence at the right time in the music. Yuuri's mind whirls as he makes slight changes to the entry into the quad toe to shave off some time, but the flow of the jump isn't quite there, and he has to settle for a double toe at the end of it. But the music hitches and Yuuri begins the step sequence without a second thought. He moves quickly across the ice, making the best of the music and ending with his final spin in the middle of the rink.

As his program ends, Yuuri hangs his head and looks up towards the ceiling as he lets out a long sigh. The program wasn't bad, the mistakes were relatively small, he had no falls and he is sure that the performance itself wasn't lacking as much as it would have, if he had lost confidence after the failed flip. _It's okay,_ Yuuri repeats in his head, _it's okay, I can catch up in the free._

Viktor's smile as he meets him by the barrier is lukewarm at best, but he doesn't say anything as he gives Yuuri his skate guards.

The silence in the Kiss & Cry is… annoying. Yuuri doesn't know how else to describe it. It's like Viktor is waiting for Yuuri to say something, but he can't figure out what. He knows that he's not allowed to apologize, but what else could he do? Viktor loves to scrutinize, and he always thinks that Yuuri can do better, so Yuuri waits until Viktor's patience runs out and he starts talking. At least, that's what he wants to do, except, Viktor has more patience than Yuuri. So in the end, Yuuri just asks.

"What do you want me to say?" He says, clearly a little frustrated. Viktor smiles. It's a calculated smile, meant to make Yuuri think.

"What went wrong with the flip?" he asks and Yuuri wants to roll his eyes because he would prefer for Viktor to just tell him, but no, Viktor is trying this new thing where Yuuri has to figure everything out for himself.

"Couldn't control the landing," Yuuri says, because that's what happened and what else did Viktor want him to say?

"Underrotated," Viktor states and looks towards the monitor that is not conveniently showing the flip replay. Not that Yuuri would be able to see it anyway. He hasn't bothered with his glasses yet.

"Are you sure?" Yuuri asks. He doesn't doubt Viktor usually, but it hadn't felt underrotated.

"Absolutely," Viktor responds, "Just barely though, but don't think that will get you out of giving me ten clean ones in tomorrow's practice."

Yuuri groans and leans back. He had wished for a clean free skate, but perhaps he should have thought about the short program first.

The score comes up, and Yuuri is surprised to find himself in first place. Granted, he's just a point ahead of Otabek, but he can work with this. Even if Phichit goes clean, he won't be too far ahead. It's a good score, Yuuri notes and Viktor is clearly very satisfied as well.

The arena explodes for Phichit, and Yuuri doesn't know if the crowd was always this loud or if all of Phichit's fans are the ones filling the stands. Regardless, the cheers are deafening, and it is exactly these kinds of circumstances which Phichit thrives under. He's completely opposite to Yuuri in that regard. He loves attention and the louder people cheer for him, the easier his jumps come to him. Yuuri would love to experience what that is like, instead he just watches as Phichit swep the crowd off of their feet.

It's almost a given that Phichit skates clean. With the exception of skate America (which was definitely cursed now that Yuuri thinks back on it), Phichit has skated a clean short program all season since his first grand prix assignment. When everyone was at their nationals, Phichit had gone to a small competition to keep himself busy, and his consistency had held up. And not only that, Phichit had been trying out a stronger layout for his free skate, and if he brought that here or to the Olympics, Viktor's premonition of Phichit simply being too powerful would be true. Because the consistency that Phichit was slowly building was the same thing that had kept Viktor at the top for five years, and while Viktor had always been technically stronger, having many quads doesn't matter if you can't land them when it matters.

Regardless, Yuuri thinks, he is proud of Phichit. When they had first met, Phichit's dreams had been smaller. Yes, he wanted to be a frontrunner for figure skating in Thailand, but his dreams only stretched as far as participating in the Olympics and qualifying for the Finals. These days, however, Yuuri thinks that Phichit could easily take a world medal if he wanted one. Yuuri wouldn't even be surprised if Phichit took the world title in the coming years either. Not at the rate he was improving.

Phichit takes the lead and Yuuri can only blame himself for making the mistakes that he did.

* * *

Unsurprisingly, the press conference is mostly about the Olympics. The three leaders are all asked about their expectations for the competition, and how their performance today, and the free skate in a couple of days, will influence the biggest competition of their lives. Their answers are surprisingly varying.

Otabek says that while the Olympics are big, he's not in the sport just for that. He's in it to win wherever he can, and Four Continents is one of the many competitions he aims to win. The Olympics happening so soon afterwards aren't going to change that.

Phichit wants to decide if a stronger technical layout will be beneficial to him, and who was he to miss an opportunity to skate so close to home?

Yuuri answers honestly and says that while he's here to win, him and his coach decided that competing here would ultimately take some of the pressure of the Olympics off of him. There's a follow up question from a Japanese journalist about his anxiety and how he will manage it during competition. Yuuri is not fond of speaking publicly about his anxiety, so he answers briefly and hopes he doesn't invite any further questions.

It's a tricky thing, his anxiety. Even if Yuuri had tried to hide it, it had always been there for everyone to see, and while some people do respect his privacy, you can't expect that from everybody in the world of media. Yuuri understands, however, that they ask out of good intentions. It's rare to see athletes, especially those at the top, talk about their mental struggles and while Yuuri would have loved to look up to an idol with a publically known mental disability when he was younger, he didn't think he could become that person himself. It was hard for him to encourage those supposed children who looked up to him, when his anxiety was the main reason he so often failed. It doesn't help that he's an incredibly private person to begin with.

It's a conversation he's had with Viktor many times. It's usually Yuuri who brings it up, guilty that he can't be that symbol of hope for young aspiring athletes, who only have their anxiety to overcome for them to succeed. And though Viktor is used to being an idol, someone people want to be like, he usually tells Yuuri to keep in his comfort zone. It's not about being brave, or becoming what people want you to be. It's about knowing his own mental health and how to manage it. It's about not sacrificing his own happiness just so that people who don't even know him may be happier. Yuuri knows that this is how Viktor copes.

The living legend, Viktor Nikiforov, is a person of fairy tales. Yuuri learned long ago that the perfect skater who he had looked up to for so long does not exist. The real Viktor, his Viktor, is softer. He cares about what people think and doesn't let people get too close. His Viktor has his ups and downs, just like any other person. His Viktor sings in the shower when he's happy, and lies on the floor with his poodle when he's not. His Viktor always smiles for his fans, but has stopped lying to Yuuri. His Viktor is real and flawed and beautiful, and Yuuri doesn't know if the advise his gives is the right one. Sometimes, Yuuri thinks he's right and he doesn't indulge the press. And sometimes, Yuuri thinks he's wrong, because every so often, Yuuri needs to become someone Viktor can look up to, just he looks up to Viktor.

So Yuuri says that yes, his anxiety may be an issue in the coming weeks, but in the last year alone, he's gotten a world title, a grand prix final title and two world records. His anxiety didn't hold him back then, and he trusts that it won't in PyeongChang. Afterall, he's lucky enough to have the support of his friends and his family and his loving fiancé during the entire event. Yuuri says that it's important for him to be surrounded by the people he loves.

* * *

"You were talkative today," Viktor remarks back in the hotel room, and Yuuri gives him a shrug. He had said what was on his mind today. He's not sure why, but whenever he had looked at Viktor, he felt like he could do it.

Viktor looks like he has something to say, but instead gestures for Yuuri to come join him on the bed. Viktor is wearing a shirt that's about three sizes too big, the covers draped over his legs and his phone in hand, while he's sitting against the headboard. He looks comfortable and Yuuri wants to join him, but he needs to prepare his things for tomorrow.

"Wait," he says quietly and turns his back on Viktor to pack the stuff needed for morning practice, "I need to finish this first."

Viktor is silent for a while, and Yuuri can feel his eyes on his back as he works with his skates. The laces are worn and need to be replaced. The boots themselves can probably go one for another week or so before Yuuri needs a new pair. He has second pair, broken in and ready to go in his suitcases, and third pair at home, but he thinks he'd like to spend their last few days in Saint Petersburg breaking in some new skates for when these inevitably wear out. Just to be safe.

Yuuri fiddles with the laces for a while, taking out the worn ones and replacing them. The new ones, he recall, are some that Viktor gave him. Black with a few golden threads sewn into them. They're nice, Yuuri thinks, no will notice them, but Yuuri knows they are there so it's nice. Very nice. He starts applying the laces, but halfway through he realizes that if the boots are soft, he needs to tie them differently. He starts over.

At some point, Yuuri doesn't know how long it's been, probably not more than two minutes because he's still applying the laces, Viktor sits down beside him. He takes the skates out of his hands, and places them gently into the suitcases again. He takes Yuuri's hand, guides him to the bed and holds him. That's when Yuuri realizes that he's crying.

Viktor doesn't say anything. He just holds him, runs his hand through Yuuri's hair and rubs soothing circles on his back. Yuuri just lets the tears flow. Why is he crying? Why is he crying? He doesn't know. He doesn't know and it makes him cry harder. Viktor's shirt will be completely soaked if this keeps up. Yuuri wants to stop crying. This is stupid. He tries to stop crying, but it doesn't really work. Instead, his breathing ends up ragged and Viktor looks more concerned. He just made it worse.

"I'm sorry," he says instinctively, and almost expects Viktor to tell him to not apologize. He doesn't. Why doesn't he speak? He wants to ask, but the words are stuck in his throat, and in Viktor's arms, he can't do anything but cry.

When Viktor finally speaks, it's because Yuuri has stopped crying. It's possible that he's only stopped because he's body has run out of fluids.

"Feel better?" Viktor asks soothingly, and Yuuri wants to tell him that just because a person stops crying doesn't automatically mean that they're better, except, yes, Yuuri feels better. He nods into Viktor's chest, and he feels as Viktor plants a kiss on his forehead.

"How do you always know?" Yuuri asks, head still buried in Viktor's chest, as he realizes that that's why Viktor wanted him to join him in the bed.

"The crying was a big give away," Viktor says, trying to lighten to mood, but Yuuri doesn't really react, so he just continues "You fiddle when you're anxious," he finally explains, "You kept folding and unfolding your clothes, and after you'd been fiddling with your laces for ten minutes, I thought it might be best if you stopped."

"Thank you," Yuuri mumbles. He's very tempted to stay where he is until he falls asleep.

"Do you want to talk?" Viktor asks kindly, and Yuuri shakes his head.

"I don't know what to say."

"That's okay."

* * *

Yuuri wakes up, still in Viktor's embrace, with his head tugged against Viktor's chest. His fiancé is still asleep which means that it's still early. Yuuri doesn't want to get up. He shifts slightly, moving so he's looking directly at Viktor's sleeping face. Viktor is beautiful. All clear white skin and silver hair and shiny lips. Yuuri looks at him and almost cries again. Viktor looks peaceful as he sleeps, but Yuuri can see the faint shadows under his eyes, knowing that Viktor hasn't had time to sleep much. He can see the smallest smear of eyeliner, knowing that Viktor didn't make it all through his night routine before he either fell asleep or deemed Yuuri more important. He can see that the ends of Viktor's hair are starting to split, knowing that Viktor hasn't had time to take care of himself for a long time. And Yuuri sees as Viktor opens his eyes and leans over for a kiss, because he loves Yuuri and Yuuri loves him, and when they get back, Yuuri will give Viktor some time to care for himself.

They slowly ease back into their normal routine and by the time they get to the rink, Yuuri feels as if nothing has happened. Tying his skates, he realizes that his new laces are exactly where he wants them and figures that Viktor must have finished replacing the laces. He doesn't say anything though and merely lets Viktor guide him through practice.

* * *

Yuuri is calm before the free skate. The tension is low or maybe Yuuri doesn't feel it. It occurs to him that he doesn't exactly know the expectations for him. He would assume that they would be high since he's done nothing but win for almost a year (a surreal fact which he tries to not think about), but the Olympics are so close that no one would expect him to peak here. Not knowing anything is a blessing, Yuuri knows that as he keeps warming up.

The first to skate in the last group is Minami. Unlike Takuya who let the pressure of the final group get to him, Minami seems ecstatic. He even lands his opening quad toe, but in his excitement misses the following triple axel. The rest of the program is enjoyable, although lacking some of the difficulty that will follow soon. One day, Yuuri thinks, one day, Minami will join him at the top.

Leo is a refined version of Minami. A very refined version. If Leo is a diamond, then Minami is coal. Leo starts with a quad toe, lands it, then moves onto the triple axel and lands it. There are barely any mistakes in the program, and it flows beautifully with the music. It shows that Leo has choreographed himself. There are changes every competition, changes that someone who was given a program could never make, and it keeps the program fresh and unpredictable, and Leo goes racing into the lead.

Frustrated by not making it to the Finals, Otabek has changed his free skate layout to earn more points. He has all of his combinations in the second half of the program, and if he can skate cleanly, he will be very hard to beat. Unfortunately for Otabek, everything seems to go wrong from the very first jump. He pops his opening quad toe into a triple, and though he lands the next two jumps, he is clearly frustrated with himself for that first mistake. He even loses a level in the step sequence, which is not exactly rare for Otabek, but certainly not the norm. The first jump in the second half is a quad-triple, but after a shaky landing in the quad, the combination is made only out of desperation, and the points keep slipping away. The triple-triple combination that follows is only slightly better, but still not good enough to earn Otabek the points he can usually get, and only when he gets to his last combination - the one moved from the first to the second half - does Otabek show what he usually portrays on the ice. It is a shame that he pops the next jump and with a only a triple loop left, it seems impossible for Otabek to salvage the performance. It reads clearly on his face that he is disappointed with the results and doesn't even pay much attention to the scores when they come up. His lead in the short program has kept him ahead of Leo by the smallest margin, and perhaps that will be his saving grace.

But Otabek is not the only one who has some new tricks up his sleeve, no, because Phichit opens his free skate up with a quad salchow. A jump which Yuuri has only ever seen Phichit land in practice back when they were still rinkmates in Detroit. When Phichit hasn't made a single mistake leading up to the second half, Yuuri knows that the competition might be decided by whether or not Phichit can land his two quad toes. Yuuri holds his breath for the combination and lets out a sigh of relief when Phichit lands it as beautifully as he has all season. Yuuri is calmer for the solo quad, but once again finds himself relieved when Phichit lands it. He should be less concerned about Phichit, given that his skate is coming up, and Viktor once again tries to distract him by doing some exercises with him, but Phichit is quite the show-stopper. It's hard to look away.

Yuuri is shocked when Phichit makes his first mistake in what feels like forever. Phichit's very last jump is a planned triple axel, but it seems that his friend is running out of stamina and only manages a double. It's a shame, Yuuri thinks, but it opens the door for Yuuri to snatch the gold from under his best friend's nose.

Yuuri doesn't see much of Guang-Hong's program, but he does watch for long enough to see him land his quad flip at the beginning of it, and knows that he too has to do his best. He has some catching up to do if he wants that gold, and Yuuri thinks that if can land his quads, the gold is his to claim. Four quads. He's done it in practice, he's done it in competition, there is no reason for Yuuri to not do it tonight.

Yuuri only registers that Guang-Hong moves into second place as Viktor sends him off to skate.

"Deep breath," Viktor instructs, and Yuuri breathes in hard, holding it until Viktor tells him to let go. Viktor laces their fingers together and whispers good luck. Yuuri treasures it. It will be the last time Viktor will wish him good luck at the boards before the Olympics.

Yuuri takes his starting position and begins the movements from his fingers, moving into his arms, throughout his body and finally into his legs and feet as he moves and sets up his first jump. As he lands the lutz his counts. One.

Next is his enemy, the salchow. Yuuri remembers what the salchow feels like. Recalls Viktor hands on his body, moving him into the right take-off position and turns four times in the air. Two.

The salchow is followed by a spin, and then it's a combination, a quad-double. He's landed this many times, the quad toe having been a reliable friend since he moved to seniors. Yuuri doesn't even have to make an effort. Three.

He falls on the triple loop, but it's okay. He's allowed to make a mistake. He's sure Viktor will give him hell for it though. That triple loop had been awful, but who cares when Yuuri moves into a triple axel combination. God, he loves the triple axel. He doesn't like the salchow much though, and despite having landed the quad, the triple only turns into a double. But it's not a big deal. A triple flip almost seems too easy, and the applause for it is lovely. It must have looked good for them to clap and cheer that much. Yuuri wants to make them even more excited and his solo triple axel is so incredible huge that he thinks he won't make the landing. But he does and he's sure it looked great. It certainly felt that way. And then, the finale. A wild and untamable sequence, showing fire and passion, his speed increasing and his turns more drastic and difficult, and ending with a perfect quad flip combination. Yuuri smiles. Four.

The combination spin ends the program and Yuuri smiles wide. He turns to Viktor who is smiling too. He's not crying like he did in Barcelona, but the mistakes justify that. Yuuri is so close to perfecting this program and when he does, he's sure that Viktor will cry.

"Finally conquered the salchow," Viktor cheers and Yuuri lets out a snort.

"If just landing it once means I've conquered it, then I think I did that last season."

"Tomato, potato," Viktor says and Yuuri laughs.

"That's not- It's supposed to be-" Yuuri tries between laughs, but he gives up. Viktor just smiles at him. Perhaps messing up the saying on purpose to make him laugh, or perhaps because he's unaware that he just made a really weird mistake. Either way, Yuuri loves him.

It's expected that Viktor starts talking about the loop in the Kiss & Cry, but Yuuri listens to his coach's ramblings. They'll work on it when they get back, and they'll keep working on that salchow too, because it could always be better. And they'll tweak the entrance on his last triple axel, since he clearly has energy left to spare for something more difficult. Yuuri nods along until their attention is grabbed by the announcer.

Yuuri takes Viktor's hand and prays. The score is announced and Yuuri looks at the result. He landed his four quads and he was rewarded with winning the free skate. Yuuri's smile doesn't falter even as he hears Phichit being announced as the winner.

* * *

"Gold and silver!" Phichit cheers and holds up his hand for a high-five which Yuuri gladly gives him. Phichit then draws him in closer for a selfie and Yuuri smiles to the camera.

"I can't believe I beat you!" Phichit exclaims and Yuuri has to suppress the urge to laugh giddily.

"You literally beat Viktor Nikiforov a few months ago, but you can't believe you beat _me_?"

"Yuuri!" Phichit says disapprovingly, "You're the world champion. No has beaten you in like… a year! Of course I'm more excited about beating you than Viktor."

Yuuri shakes his head, he can't imagine that Phichit, the person who's seen him fail more than anyone else, could ever be excited about beating him. Phichit looks like he's about to explain it to him, but the medal ceremony starts before they he gets the chance.

As they skate around with their medals, waving to the audience, Phichit comes up to him and laughs: "Let's stand on the podium together again."

"Just name a time and a place," Yuuri says as he's done so many times, in so many context, always involving Phichit.

"Three weeks, PyeongChang," Phichit smiles and Yuuri nods.

"PyeongChang."

* * *

 **I'll do two chapters this week since the next one is like a small bonus chapter :)**


	18. Olympic Winter Games: Preview

**Um, so, it's been months and i forgot to upload, so I'll try to be a little better about that. Thanks for all the nice reviews that reminded me to upload :) This chapter will serve as like a sum-up chapter before the Olympics :D**

 **Fact of the Chapter: The axel is the hardest jump in skating due to its extra half rotation and forward take-off (as mentioned in ch. 10), and the triple axel can often make the difference between medals and standings. In men's skating, a triple axel is pretty much mandatory if one wants to win or even just get near the top ten, but the first one to pull one off was Brian Orser in 1984. On the women's side, the first to land a triple axel was Midori Ito in 1989, though, unlike the men where many then followed Orser, only 10 women have successfully pulled off a triple axel in competition. Of active skaters, those are: Rika Kihira, Elizaveta Tuktemysheva and Alysa Liu. Of course, if you currently follow skating, that might change with this upcoming season (2019-20).**

* * *

The PyeongChang Olympics are a mere week away, and while figure skating may be one of the kings among winter sports, not everyone knows the landscape of this elegant artform. Here are the athletes you must know before the Olympics kick off!

 **The Favorites**

Going into PyeongChang, figure skating fans all over the world speak of five skaters who we are likely to see on the podium based on their results just this season. The five competing for a spot on the podium and a chance at a once (or maybe twice) in a lifetime opportunity to become an Olympic Champion are:

 _Yuuri Katsuki, 25 (JPN)_

Short Program: For Yuuri (An Original Piano Piece)

Free Skate: Firebird

The Japanese Ace became a quick rising star in figure skating only last season, as he changed from his long-time coach Celestino Cialdini to the rookie coach Viktor Nikiforov, who is the best known name in figure skating history. But it wasn't just his famous coach that made Katsuki popular, it was his sudden improvement on the ice. Katsuki has been known for struggling with nerves, but it seemed that under Nikiforov, those worries were no more. In less than two years, Katsuki has set three world records (two in the free skate and one in the short program), as well as conquered both the Grand Prix Final and World Championship of which he is still the reigning champion. This season has only seen one defeat for Katsuki and it was at the Four Continents just a few days ago, where former teammate, Phichit Chulanont, took the title as Katsuki had to settle for his first silver since February last year.

 _Christophe Giacometti, 27 (SUI)_

Short Program: Poeta

Free Skate: Elvis Presley Medley

The swiss phenomenon that is Christophe Giacometti has been a well known skater for almost a decade. He is mostly known as the rival of Viktor Nikiforov, but the man has accomplished a great many things in the sports. Giacometti is the two-time and reigning European Champion, as well as the Olympic silver medalist from the Sochi Winter Games. Giacometti was also the first skater to land the extremely difficult quad lutz in competition. He is known for his sensual style on the ice, and his erotic programs can both be enticing and off-putting (we at the studio all agree that they are definitely enticing). In addition to being talented on the ice, Giacometti has a large and dedicated fanbase, who follow him in everything that he does. And this includes his adventures outside of the ice rink. Giacometti is known to be a proficient pole-dancer, his dancing being of the same enticing nature as his skating.

 _Phichit Chulanont, 21 (THA)_

Short Program: Shall we Skate (King & The Skater Soundtrack)

Free Skate: Terra Incognita (King & The Skater II Soundtrack)

Despite coming from a nation that has less ice rink than most people have fingers, Phichit Chulanont has let nothing get in his way of becoming not only an inspiration for aspiring skaters in Thailand and an ambassador for the sport in his home country, but also a frontrunner of the sport. Chulanont is the first south-east asian skater to ever qualify for the Grand Prix Final, and has attended the competition during both this and last season. Moreover, Chulanont became the first south-east asian skater to medal at a major ISU competition when he won silver at the 2016 Four Continents Championship and, of course, the first to win one as well when he conquered the competition a few days ago - a great achievement as the Thai skater was competing against the seemingly unbeatable Yuuri Katsuki. But Chulanont is not just a successful skater, he is an entertainer. Chulanont prioritizes his craft and performance over anything, which is possibly what makes both his fans and the judges like his so much. His fans regularly refer to him as _a pure ray of sunshine_ and, frankly, it is a title that he deserves.

 _Yuri Plisetsky, 16 (RUS)_

Short Program: Let's Go Crazy

Free Skate: Schindler's List

This young Russian has been in spotlight ever since he started competing. With his fierce determination, victory never seems impossible for this young athlete. Plisetsky was a junior skater for only two short years, and those two years he was unbeatable. It seemed almost no different when Plisetsky turned senior last season and blew everyone away as he took both gold and a new world record at his very first senior Grand Prix Final. Yet the young skater has not had quite the success since that impressive debut. Although he took bronze at the 2017 European championship, he found himself outside the top five at Worlds in Helsinki and since then, he has not been seen on the podium at any major event. Yet Plisetsky still makes the list as one of the favorites for a medal, as anyone who has followed him closely know that he is threat to be feared. Plisetsky is the reigning national champion, and is putting everything on the line for these Olympics. With his hunger for victory, it would almost be unthinkable that Plisetsky return to Russia without a medal. It is not without faith in their young athlete that Plisetsky has been chosen as the Russian flag-bearer.

 _Viktor Nikiforov, 29 (RUS)_

Short Program: Hope

Free Skate: Legacy

Viktor Nikiforov hardly needs any introduction, but in case you have been living under a rock, here's a summary of his accomplishments that don't even begin to do this skater justice. Nikiforov is commonly (and rightfully) referred to as the greatest skater of all time, and in the world of skating, which is biased at its best, this is not a title to throw around lightly, but there is hardly anyone who disagrees with the statement, fan or not. And this isn't because he has won two Olympics (a feat which in this landscape of figure skating should have been impossible) and because he never lost a single competition for a solid five years, was the first person to land a quad flip and the first person to land four different quads, and it isn't even because he has a record for the most records broken in the sport, no, it is because Viktor Nikiforov can appeal to everyone. No matter what genre of music, storytelling, style or whatever, you are a fan of, Nikiforov has done it and he has done it to perfection. And not only is Nikiforov a master at skating, the man is also a choreographer (seven of the programs you will see at the Olympics are choreographed by him) as well as a coach. This is an unprecedented situation and no one but Nikiforov would be able to pull it off.

 **The Dark Horses**

Everyone loves a dark horse, and what Olympics would it be if there wasn't one upset? The following skaters are those who could potentially make a big splash at PyeongChang.

 _Jean-Jacques Leroy, 20 (CAN)_

Short Program: Theme of King JJ

Free Skate: Romeo & Juliet

This Canadian star has had an unfortunate season, and it is only his bad luck which has prevented his name from not being among the favorites. Despite having qualified for the Grand Prix Finals twice (2015, 2016), and taken the bronze both times, Leroy had his chances at this season's Finals shattered by a mere flu, which he came down with during his second qualifier. Despite winning his national championship, Leroy has been out of international competition since Skate America, citing his preparation for PyeongChang as the cause. But Leroy is a strong skater. While he can often come off as arrogant, Leroy is merely honest and confident when he talks about himself. Leroy won the Four Continents Championship in 2017 and has landed four different types of quads in competition - making him the second one after Viktor Nikiforov and only one of only three people who have done it (Yuuri Katsuki being the last one). But Leroy doesn't just have jumps, he has both personality and performance. His programs this season are a perfect example of such as his short program is an original song about Leroy and his fans, while his free skate is dedicated to his loving fiancée who can always be spotted in the crowd cheering for him.

 _Otabek Altin, 19 (KAZ)_

Short Program: Turandot

Free Skate: Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, 2. Movement "Advent" - Genesis edition

Otabek Altin is the first person on our list who doesn't (yet) have a title to claim, but the two-time world bronze medalist is the ultimate dark horse. Despite his inconsistency and unorthodox style, Altin has a way of peeking when it matters the most, a fact proven by his two world bronze medals. Altin is an ambitious skater, and has travelled all over the world to gain the experience and ability he now displays on the ice. Despite his stoic off-ice nature, Altin displays a level of drama on the ice that is only matched by who the fans of the sport refer to as Extra Russian™. Altin may not have made it to Grand Prix Finals this season, and had to settle for fourth at Four Continents by a mere point, but the Olympics may very well be his time to shine.

 _Seung-gil Lee, 21 (KOR)_

Short Program: A Selection of James Bond Music

Free Skate: La Strada

Our last person to make the list is Korea's Seung-gil Lee. Korean figure skating is mostly known for its ladies, but this young man has probably been preparing for this Olympics his entire skating career. The young skater burst onto the scene just two years ago, when he became the first skater to land the quad loop in competition (a feat which not even Nikiforov has managed just yet) and it has become his signature jump. And Lee is putting it all on the line this season. It seemed almost prophetic when Lee at last year's Four Continents took the bronze in the very arena the Olympics will be held, and it doesn't exactly seem like a coincidence that this was the first season where he qualified for the Grand Prix Final (although he sadly finished that competition in last place). Off the ice, not much is known about Lee, but we can happily tell you that he is a dog person who owns the cutest husky you will ever lay your eyes upon.

When all is said and done, it seems likely that we will find our winner among these skaters, but anything can happen. Tweet us your predictions using the hashtag #FSPyeongChang and share this article with your friends.

* * *

 **Drama at the Olympics**

There is no Olympics without its drama, and for figure skating fans, that drama began in November, when the Olympic committee committed what could only be described as an injustice. Famous figure skater Viktor Nikiforov of Russia made headlines when he took some time off from the sport to coach Japan's Ace Yuuri Katsuki. As the two later got involved in a romantic relationship (getting engaged just before the Barcelona Grand Prix Final) and Nikiforov announced that he would return to the sport while continuing on as Katsuki's coach, the two of them officially had all eyes on them. In 2017 they were crowned as BuzzFeeds 'Couple of the Year' and they were, unsurprisingly, some of the most talked about athletes in that year as well. Despite the scepticism which Nikiforov faced in his decision to both coach and compete, the king of the ice proved everyone wrong as Katsuki and himself won gold and silver respectively at the following world championship in Helsinki.

Nikiforov and Katsuki quickly became figure skating's favorite couple, duo, rivals and whatever else they may be to each other, and that made figure skating fans verbally angry at the Olympic Committee as a ban was put in place just a few months ago. Despite his success as a coach, Nikiforov was given an ultimatum for the Olympics: Step down as Katsuki's coach, or withdraw from the competition. The backlash the Committee received from the ban almost made people think that they would repeal it immediately, but the ban stands.

Curious as to Nikiforov's opinions on the topic, we asked for an interview:

 **JOURNALIST** : What was your initial reaction to finding out about the ban?

 **NIKIFOROV:** I got the news from my coach, Yakov Feltsman, and he would probably tell you that I wasn't happy at all. I remember it quite well as I had just gotten back from Japan after NHK Trophy and I was planning on serving my fiancé breakfast in bed, unfortunately those plans derailed quite a bit.

 **J:** Speaking of your fiancé, how will Katsuki cope without his coach?

 **N:** Yuuri is a strong person, and though I am his primary coach, he is also a part of Team Yakov, who will be his acting coach during PyeongChang. As unfortunate as the situation is, we won't be apart. They can ban me from coaching him, but they can't exactly ban me from being his fiancé nor his competitor, so we will use everything to our advantage.

 **J:** It seems that you have it all figured out. Are there any concerns?

 **N:** There are always concerns, but we are fortunate to have the Team Event, where Yuuri will participate in the short program. Call it a practice round of sorts. We will have time to figure out what works and what doesn't.

 **J:** And lastly, do you think the ban will affect yours or Katsuki's chances of standing on the podium or even winning the event?

 **N:** The job of the coach is primarily everything that happens outside of competitions, so while I will have my duties revoked during the event, I see no reasons why Yuuri or myself should have any less chances of winning.

Despite the adversity, Nikiforov is as confident as ever and it seems that he has enough confidence for both him and Katsuki as they move into PyeongChang.


	19. Olympic Winter Games: Team Event

**Fact of the Chapter: As it is the beginning of the Olympic arc, let's all just remind ourselves who the current Olympic Champions are.**

 **Pair Skating: Aliona Savchenko/Bruno Massot (GER)**

 **Ice Dance: Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir (CAN)**

 **Women: Alina Zagitova (RUS)**

 **Men: Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN)**

 **As a bonus, I'd highly recommend watching Virtue/Moir's free dance at the Olympics. It is a masterpiece!**

* * *

"Are you sure we packed everything?" Yuuri asks for the actual thousandth time, and Viktor has to take a deep breath to not sound as frustrated as he is.

"I am certain. We checked everything. Twice. We have everything we need, and I swear if we have forgotten anything, anything at all, I will make sure that it will either get to us or I will buy a new one," Viktor tries to reassure, although, it's probably not quite what Yuuri wants or needs to hear. The frustration that is far more visible on Yuuri makes that clear. He too takes a calming breath.

Viktor doesn't get nervous often, he wouldn't even call what he is feeling now nerves, but he is certainly a little agitated. It's partly due to Yuuri, who has been on edge for the last three days and merely lets it out in small bursts rather than the big breakdown with the crying that Viktor has gotten better at handling. But it's also partly due to this weird pressure of the Olympics that Viktor has never quite experienced before. It's the fact that there are expectations of him as a choreographer, after all, he has made both Yuuri's, Mila's, his own programs as well as Yurio's short. All four of them are contenders - realistic contenders - for gold (even if in different categories) and their programs will be presented with Viktor's name. It's a different kind of pressure to when he choreographed for himself. Viktor Nikiforov, the choreographer, is a brand he has to sell to the world if it's a path that he wants to pursue. And it is. He likes coaching, but he is a creative person by default – and as Yakov and Yuuri say, a workaholic – he wants to be sought after choreographer.

There are expectations for him as a coach - Yuuri has been pretty much unbeatable for a year, and it is in great part to him being able to control his anxiety better during competition. The support that Viktor usually gives him just from standing on the rinkside has been taken away from them, yet Viktor cannot allow Yuuri to fall apart at this stage. He could never forgive himself if this was where he let Yuuri down.

There are expectations for his as a competitor, although those are expectations he feels like he can deal with. Viktor hasn't won a major competition since his comeback (Chris and Yuuri seem to have taken care of that for him), so the expectation is that he won't defend his title (he's okay with that, he's been wearing the Olympic crown for eight years), but he is still the Viktor Nikiforov. He can't afford to show weakness, because even if he can't defend his title, he needs to show that he didn't just come back to be forgotten, or just be someone who is always second-best. Viktor has spent more than twenty years in figure skating, he has changed the sport, moved it forward and risen to heights people only dreamed of before trying to follow him, and Viktor will continue to push forward until he retires.

Viktor can handle the pressure of being a competitor, because he knows what he wants and he knows that he can do it. But everything else seems so much out of his control, and he can tell that him and Yuuri are doing everything they can ju to keep from falling apart. They've fought before, and it is usually under circumstances like these that someone makes a mistake or raises their voice, but they cannot afford a fight right now, so Viktor sends Yuuri out with Makkachin in the hopes that it will ease his agitation just a little bit. In the meantime, Viktor cooks them their dinner, puts on some music and tries to go over their plans for when they arrive in PyeongChang one more time.

Viktor feels like he has been thinking about these Olympics more than any other before it, which is strange as this is his fourth one. But there are so many complications this time. The Olympic village is divided by country, so they will be separated as soon as they arrive. Viktor has been promised by the Japanese team leader of their figure skaters that she will take care of Yuuri while Viktor cannot. Viktor will meet Yuuri again by the rink, where they will both practice under Yakov's supervision.

The two of them will arrive only two days before the events begin, and that's where the next complication begins. The team event occurs on the same day as the opening ceremony. Viktor will attend both, he is pretty much expected to and can't get away with just doing one of them. If he had a choice he would just come to the team event - which he isn't even competing in by the way - because while he can literally only be sat in the Team Russia booth, he can at least cheer and let Yuuri know that he is there. As far as the opening ceremony is concerned, Viktor had originally adviced Yuuri to skip it. He could go to the closing ceremony and just focus on himself for as long as he needed to. But no, of course Yuuri doesn't listen when Viktor gives sound advice. Yuuri wanted to attend because Phichit and Yurio were flag-bearers and he would like to be there for it. Besides, he had said, he had skipped the ceremony last time and regretted it as he couldn't sleep as he had wanted to anyway and ended up watching the entire thing on tv. So, they decided to both attend the opening ceremony, separated because fate is cruel and then it would be guesswork as to what happened afterwards.

They both wanted to avoid journalists as best as they could, and luckily for them, the Olympic village was locked off from journalists. They just needed to get there first. Their plan at the moment was to just make it there by themselves and then meet up afterwards. It was chaotic, being bound to another person in this way, and while it was giving them both some anxiety, Viktor wouldn't really have it any other way.

After the team event, Viktor had nothing that resembled a plan, because he had no way of knowing how Yuuri would perform and how he would respond to it. He could skate clean and that would be nice. Or he could bomb the entire thing and then Viktor could only wait for what his reaction would be. Determined to redeem himself in the individual event? Favourable. Falling prey to the pressure and not being able to shake it off? Not an unlikely scenario. Being extremely nervous the week leading up to the event, but then skating as if nothing had happened? Also a very possible outcome.

Viktor sighs. Yuuri is unpredictable, even when he doesn't want to be, and while that is oh so wonderful when he is just a romantic partner, it is incredibly hard to deal with as a coach. Viktor wonders what other students would be like. Did Yakov have as much work with him as Viktor has with Yuuri. Probably. Viktor listens to Yakov less than Yuuri listens to him, and Yakov doesn't live with Viktor and always knows what he was up to. Yakov definitely had it hard as well – probably still does, but he has experience, which Viktor does not. Viktor supposes that he will grow as a coach over time, but no coach has been gifted with a talent like Yuuri in their first year as a coach. And no coach has had to compete alongside that student. It is all very complicated, and that doesn't exactly help their situation.

Yuuri returns before the food is done. His ears are red from the cold and there is still some snow on the shoulders of his jacket and at the top of his head. Viktor smiles as he sees him. He looks a little more content than when he left, so sending him out was the right decision.

Yuuri leaves Makkachin to wait patiently at the door and returns with a fluffy towel to dry the poddle off before the couch and the rest of their furniture gets ruined by their dripping dog. Yuuri coos and smothers Makkachin, and that sends them both into a better mood. As Makkachin finally is allowed to roam free, Yuuri comes to Viktor and hugs him from behind.

"Sorry for being difficult," he says sweetly, and Viktor puts a hand on Yuuri's and caresses his thumb.

"Don't apologize. It's not your fault."

"It's not yours either," Yuuri says without letting go, "We'll get through this. We always do," Yuuri leans up to kiss Viktor on the cheek, and he smiles. Tomorrow they'll be stressed and on the verge of breaking again, but they won't break. Together they will get through it. Like they always do.

* * *

Since everyone they know is going to Korea, they have their landlady take care of Makkachin while they are away, and spend so long saying goodbye to their poodle that they almost miss their flight. Viktor isn't surprised that Yuuri spends a good portion of the flight sleeping and cuddled up to him and this time he decides that he won't wake his sleeping beauty, and lets him rest for as long as he needs. Yuuri does wake up at some point to eat, but falls asleep again immediately afterwards. Viktor would love to get some sleep as well, knowing that as soon as they land they won't have much time for themselves, but sleep doesn't come as easily to him as it does to Yuuri these days. Viktor occupies his mind by reading instead and hopes to forget all his worries just for a little while.

Their arrival in the airport is extremely chaotic. They have a couple of security guards making sure they won't get smothered, but Viktor and Yuuri do delay going to the baggage claim to meet with some fans who were in the airport as well. This, Viktor thinks, will be the most enjoyable part of the day. His fans are usually nice and well-mannered, and so are Yuuri's. It's when they try to leave the airport that it all gets extremely messy. There are so many reporters that Viktor can't even see the exit and he knows they won't leave without giving an interview (even if their guards have guns). They had been prepared for talking to the press, but even if they only answered one question per person, they would still be here until next month.

A guard asks for Viktor's attention and asks what they want to do. Viktor thinks it over for a while. They can't say no, but they don't want to stay too long.

"Half an hour," he decides, "Let's see if we can find a better spot."

The guards set up a small area where Yuuri and Viktor can give interviews, and have multiple people film, record and question them, which would hopefully give them the satisfaction they needed. There would usually be a moderator when this many journalists were involved, but since there isn't any, Viktor tries his best to do it himself.

Some of the journalists try to ask questions at the same time, and Yuuri is visibly torn about who to give his attention to. There is an American right in front of him, so it would be more natural to give her the attention, but right behind her is a Japanese reporter, and perhaps Yuuri would prefer to answer his questions. Viktor can only do so much to try to get everything organized.

"One at a time please!" He says, and when it doesn't really work, he raises his voice and repeats his request. The noise dies down slightly, and Viktor begins to pick people out from the crowd.

"Katsuki-senshu," A Japanese reporter begins. Viktor had chosen him to give Yuuri a sense of familiarity, "How will you fare under coach Feltsman? Will it disrupt your concentration to have a different coach with you?"

Yuuri is about to answer, when the American peeps up: "Not to be difficult, but could it be possible for someone to translate? It would help a lot if we could all understand everything that's going on."

Viktor wants to say no, but she has a point. People might still end up asking the same questions if they all speak in different languages.

"I'll try my best," Viktor smiles, and translates the question to the best of his abilities. He glances to Yuuri to make sure his translation wasn't completely skewered, and feels his chest get lighter when Yuuri smiles at him.

"It will certainly be different," Yuuri answers, and pauses to give Viktor time to translate, "But Yakov is always present when I practice, and Viktor will still be here as a competitor, so I think I can manage." Yuuri smiles as he answers. It's nice to see, since Viktor had been afraid that this many people demanding questions of him would have been overwhelming. Especially with the mood they've both been in over the last couple of days. But he supposes that Yuuri must have known that this would happen and has prepared himself the best he could.

"Nikiforov," A Russian reporter says, as Viktor points him out in the crowd, "Why are you not participating in the Team Event? Wouldn't our chances be better if you and Plisetsky formed a team?"

Translating the question, answering in Russian and then translating his own answer is a little confusing, but someone should give him credit for this.

"I believe that our team as it is, is strong enough to get on the podium and maybe even win the event. I declined the offer to skate in the event due to my own personal motivation for the Games, as well as out of respect for my teammates. I have three Olympic medals, including the gold won in the Sochi Team Event, while my team has none. I think it would be rude to strip them of that chance since they have a good opportunity to win without me."

Viktor thinks that the answer is perhaps a bit arrogant, but no one asks a follow-up question, so he'll just be looking out for what happens on social media later on.

"My question is for both of you," the American begins, "Who do you consider your biggest rival for the Games?"

Yuuri and Viktor shoot each other a look. This question is always dangerous.

"Myself," Yuuri answers, and the American makes a little surprised sound, "It's no secret that I'm not good with pressure, and there is a lot of it here. I think that before I can think of who may skate clean or have a better score than me, I have to get past my own struggles first and do my best to lay down two flawless programs."

There is a small pause before Viktor remembers that he should probably translate that into Japanese, but that gives him a little time to think about his own answer. He supposes that there really only is one answer he can give that won't backfire on him.

"I'd say my biggest rival is Yuuri," he smiles, "Statistically, he's the most likely winner and of course, I get to see what he's like in practice every day. But he is also a person I would be rooting for and I know many others want to see him do well. From experience, having a lot of people believe in you is very motivating."

The conference goes on for another twenty minutes, the answers varying from their thoughts on the next couple of days to what they look forward to doing outside of skating. Unsurprisingly they both say they are excited to eat good food. They end the interview by saying they have other plans, which isn't entirely untrue and their security guards follow them to car that's supposed to take them to the village.

"You did well," Yuuri remarks as they get settled into the car and Viktor looks at him, and tilts his head slightly, not sure what he means.

"With the translating and keeping everything in order," Yuuri explains, "I couldn't have done it."

"I'd like to say you could, but you don't know as many languages as me," Viktor teases and Yuuri chuckles.

"Yes, that's the only issue."

"Obviously."

It's snowing in Korea. Viktor remembers his first day in Sochi, It hadn't been snowing then. It had been clear skies and a cold wind. Here, the clouds are white and the snowflakes fall slowly, covering the ground in white. They can see the mountains and hills ahead where there'll be skiing and snowboarding. Perhaps they will go watch some of the other events if they get some time.

They drive for over an hour, while they chat about nothing in particular. They are going directly to the Olympic village - the one in Gangneung, which is filled with the ice athletes. Viktor wonders how many skaters have arrived already. Team Yakov would have arrived yesterday, and of course Seung-gil would have arrived very early as well. Viktor remembers what it had been like to be a Russian athlete in Sochi. He had spent more time with media than on the ice, and it had been slowly driving him crazy until he faked having a cold for two days just to get out of it. Seung-gil is unlikely to do that, and Viktor wishes him the best of luck.

They realize that they are getting close when they see the Olympic rings erected on top of a hill, and Viktor sees Yuuri take out his phone as they drive past it. He soon gets a notification that Yuuri has posted a video on instagram. He likes it before he sees it.

* * *

 **katsudonyuuri**

[video]

 **589 views**

 **katsudonyuuri** arriving in #PyeongChang

View all 192 comments

 **erosyuuri** good luck!

 **ssviktuuri** i couldn't afford tickets for the team event but i'll be cheering for you in the individual!

 **phichit+chu** see you soon!

 **v-nikiforov**

JUST NOW

* * *

The video of the olympic rings is quite nice and Viktor should probably think about making a social media update too. He can't have Yuuri be more active than him, but just as he thinks that thought, he gets another notification that Yuuri has posted something. He looks over to Yuuri who is sitting with his phone. As Yuuri notices him staring he gives him a smile and goes back to his phone, and Viktor looks at the post. It's a picture of him, smiling at his own phone.

* * *

 **katsudonyuuri**

[image]

Liked by **phichit+chu** , **christophe-gc** and **1.092 others**

 **katsudonyuuri** get you a man who likes and comments on everything you post within five seconds of it going online #truelove

View all 376 comments

 **skatingfam** have we just been blessed with two yuuri updates? on the same day? is this real life?

 **quadaxel** this is rarer than my username

 **phichit+chu** i love how all the comments are about yuuri's sudden activity and not the quality viktuuri content™

 **christophe-gc** by that logic you should be dating **phichit+chu**

 **phichit+chu christophe-gc** by that logic everyone should be dating me

JUST NOW

* * *

Viktor lets out a small giggle as he likes the post and tells Chris and Phichit that no one can take Yuuri from him. His comment is the only one Yuuri likes, so he takes that as a win.

Their driver announces that they will arrive in five minutes time, and Viktor sends a text to Yakov, to find out where the rest of the team are. Yakov just tells him to be at the rink in an hour.

"Yakov says we have practice," Viktor says and hands Yuuri his phone so he can read the conversation himself.

"This is Russian," Yuuri says as he looks at the phone, and Viktor laughs at his own stupidity.

"Oops," he says apologetically, "He just says to be there in an hour."

"You're more flustered than me today," Yuuri comments, still smiling sweetly, and Viktor laughs again. Yuuri is certainly handling everything better than he is, but Viktor has so many things to think about. He decides to get at least one of them out of his mind.

"Take a selfie with me," he says and leans in closer. Yuuri obliges, but not in the way Viktor imagined. Yuuri kisses his cheek and Viktor begins to giggle as he takes the photo. The end result is him smiling widely in the photo, looking positively surprised by the kiss, while Yuuri just looks stunningly beautiful. It's a perfect picture.

"We should put that on the wall," Yuuri comments as Viktor shows him the picture, "It's still a bit bleak."

Viktor agrees, but it still goes on instagram.

* * *

 **v-nikiforov**

[image]

Liked by **phichit+chu** , **katsudonyuuri** and **982 others**

 **v-nikiforov** #truelove is made of surprise kisses

View all 749 comments

 **ssviktuuri** GUYS i can't cheer for you if you smother me with you cuteness!

 **goldenvitya** this is your first post during owg? Iconic

 **phichit+chu** there it is! finally some viktuuri appreciation

 **yuri_plisetsky** you better not be like this at practice

JUST NOW

* * *

"No comment?" Viktor teases as Yuuri merely likes the post before he moves onto something different.

"I'm not perfect like you," he says and Viktor smothers him in kisses, because that's not true.

They arrive at the entrance of the village, and two volunteers help them with their luggage. The Japanese house is closer than the Russian one, and the promise to meet at the rink, before Viktor takes off in a different direction. After confirming that the volunteer speaks English, he strikes up a conversation with her and ends up giving her an autograph for her sister who's a fan.

The bedrooms house two athletes, and since Georgi and Yurio are sharing, Viktor meets with a pair skater a few years younger than him.

"Viktor!" he greets, as Viktor sets down his stuff on the bed closest to the door, "No Yuuri?"

"Plisetsky?" Viktor questions, just because he doubts this guy would take an interest in his Yuuri.

"No, Katsuki," he elaborates, "I assumed you would bring him here."

Viktor looks at him confused, "No? He's in the Japanese house. Where he's supposed to be."

"Sure," Alexei - Viktor is pretty sure that's his name - says and winks, "Well, when the pairs' event is over, I'll be with my girlfriend, so you can have the room."

Alexei leaves, and Viktor stares at the now closed door, "Right, okay, that solves a problem, I suppose."

Viktor quickly finds all the things he will need for practice and gets another text from Yakov that tells him to hurry up and get to rink already. Viktor merely rolls his eyes and ignores the text.

He arrives at the rink after Yuuri, and sees his fiancé already out on the ice, going through spin positions for Yakov. He puts on his skates as fast as he can and begins his warm up, feeling Yakov's stare at his back. The skaters at the rink are those from Team Yakov, and if it hadn't been for all the cameras at the end of the rink, it might have felt like they were back home in Saint Petersburg. Yuuri and him have promised that at the rink they shouldn't talk too much. They don't really know what the Committee can and is willing to do if they are seen in any situation that could be interpreted as Viktor coaching, but they have decided to play it safe.

But they move onto jumps, and Viktor wants to give Yuuri some advice. He knows that he can't and tells Yakov to tell Yuuri to pay attention to his landings. Yakov sighs and does so, but the third time Viktor comes with a piece of advice, Yakov refuses. It's still technically coaching even if Viktor is giving his advice through a middleman. Viktor agrees reluctantly, but by the end of the practice session, he ends up sending a snap to Yuuri (they're afraid the Committee will go through their phones, but they can't check snapchat). He cleverly disguises the whole thing as a silly selfie taken with the dog filter, but writes his advice on the bottom of the screen. Yuuri sees the snap five minutes later and answers with his own dog selfie and a cheeky little 'yes coach' as the caption.

Viktor has to stop himself from saving it, and Yakov orders him to go through his free skate before he can end his practice. Viktor rolls his neck as he takes center ice, getting ready for a full runthrough on very little energy. He'll have to skip some jumps, if he wants to do anything resembling skating after two minutes, so he'll just stick to landing the jumps that give him trouble.

As he skates, his two first jumps are marked, while the quad flip is only a triple. He hears the cameras go off as he jumps and the clicking doesn't stop until he transitions out of the jump. The clicking begins again when the goes for the quad lutz, and Viktor wants to stop and tell them to put the cameras on silent because the music isn't loud enough to drown them out and it is extremely distracting. Viktor does his spins, although the positions aren't quite as tight as they will be in competition. He skips the next combination, but jumps a triple loop. It will become the quad loop (hopefully), when he skates it in competition, but he would like to keep it to himself until the last possible minute. And with all these reporters, he doesn't want to take the risk. He does both of his triple axels, although he doesn't put any of them in combination. The final axel is slightly shaky, but at this point, Viktor just wants the program to end because his legs do not want to keep going even if his mind (and more importantly Yakov) wants to. He enters his final pose and immediately bends down and supports himself by resting his hands on his knees as he glides towards the barrier to Yakov.

"Tired?"

"I don't know what you expected?" Viktor says through some deep breaths, slowly steadying himself.

"Don't skip all the combinations next time. You might as well not jump at all."

"I did the lutz," Viktor argues and Yakov just glares at him.

"You also did a triple loop which isn't even an element you have planned for this competition. Either skip it or do the quad."

Viktor groans. Yakov is literally never satisfied. Except when world records are broken. Then he's satisfied.

"Do your triple axel combination and then we can finish up."

"What?" Vikter gasps, "I don't think I have the energy for a triple axel let alone one in combination."

"Stop being such a drama queen. You have energy enough."

Viktor shakes his head wildly and skates onto the ice. He gets what Yakov is doing, but he would much prefer to just not do it. He is so exhausted.

Viktor pops his first two axel attempts into singles and skates around for a bit to catch his breath. At this point he is being joined by some new training mates as his Russian team mates and Yuuri have left the rink, Yuuri and Yurio doing stretches by the rinkside. His third attempt is better. The triple axel probably lacks some height, but he gets around, puts a half loop on the end of it to set up for the triple flip. The flip is also not one of his best, but he doesn't fall so Yakov has to approve of that.

"Adequate," Yakov comments as Viktor skates to the barrier, "You will do better tomorrow."

Viktor hangs his head in defeat and begins his cool down, as Seung-gil and JJ enter the rink. "Coach giving you hell?" JJ asks as he skates past him and Viktor just groans in response. He is so done with today.

When Viktor finally exits the rink he collapses on a bench, close to where Yuuri and Yurio are stretching, not even bothering to take off his skates. They are practice skates anyway, so it's fine.

"Pathetic," he hears Yurio say, "You're making it easy for me to beat you."

Viktor is too tired to respond.

"You would be tired too if Yakov put you through that," Yuuri soothes, but it doesn't make Yurio change his mind.

"I arrived here well before you and I'm not nearly as worn out as this old man."

"We've been in a plane the whole day while you got proper rest. It's not exactly the same, Yurio."

"Excuses. I'll still beat him. And you. At least beating you will be more of a challenge."

"I will take that as a compliment," Yuuri says, probably smiles. Viktor doesn't know. He's resting.

"Tired, gorgeous?"

"Mmm~" Viktor confirms, and then he hears Yuuri leave. There is some shuffling about as Yuuri probably packs up his stuff, and then Viktor is lifted up. He opens his eyes in shock, but sees Yuuri in front of him and then smiles and snuggles into his chest. What an amazing fiancé he has.

Viktor hears the sound of the cameras going off again, but doesn't mind this time. Yuuri has both of their bags on his back as he begins walking out of the rink.

"Just to the changing rooms, okay?" Yuuri says sweetly and Viktor nods and enjoys being carried around while it lasts.

Yuuri sets Viktor down on a bench in the changing rooms, and Viktor finally takes off his skates, and occupies himself with drying them, so that he won't have to move.

"Yurio isn't coming?" Viktor asks as he realizes that their little kitten didn't follow.

"Otabek is arriving soon and they haven't seen each other since summer. I'm sure they have lots to catch up on."

"Yeah… can you pass me my phone?"

"Sure," Yuuri says and finds the phone inside the skating bag Yuuri had packed for him, "Yurio posted something."

Viktor has exactly five people on notification: Yuuri, Chris, Stephane Lambiel, the triplets (they share an account so they only count as one person) and Yurio, and while Yurio isn't as inactive as Yuuri, it's still rare to see him post something. Yuuri once asked Viktor why he doesn't have Phichit on notification, but Viktor is afraid that his phone would never stop vibrating if he ever did so.

The picture Yurio has posted is taken from behind Yuuri's back. Despite the bags hanging off of him, his defined shoulders are still visible through his thin (and more imporatnly tight) shirt, and just for that Viktor saves the photo. Of course, that's not all there is too it. The picture is taken while Yuuri is carrying him, and Viktor's lovestruck expression is just visible above Yuuri's left shoulder. It's a cute photo, and Viktor isn't entirely sure why Yurio posted it.

* * *

 **yuri_plisetsky**

[image]

Liked by **phichit+chu** , **otabek-altin** and **3.928 others**

 **yuri_plisetsky** the princess was whining until his noble knight picked him up and suddenly he was full of life #pathetic

View all 2.182 comments

 **yurios-angel** our tsundere kitten is back again! someone add it to the collection!

 **istanyu(u)ri** tbh i would do anything to have yuuri carry me like that

 **mila-babicheva** awww cute #thekittencares

 **otabek-altin** (thumbs up)

FIVE MINUTES AGO

* * *

"I was not whining," Viktor complains and Yuuri laughs.

"You were whining a little, beautiful, just admit it."

"Never," Viktor says stubbornly and goes back to taking care of his skates. Meanwhile Yuuri is in the middle of stripping to take a shower, and Viktor gets slightly distracted as Yuuri looks for his towel completely naked.

"You know," Yuuri says as he catches Viktor staring, "It's flattering that my naked body still has you staring, but it would be a lot less uncomfortable if you weren't cleaning a pair of very sharp blades while you were checking out my butt."

Viktor looks down at his skates, and then up at Yuuri again without answering. His fiancé merely shakes his head and walks towards the showers. Viktor should have been quicker. If he had, he could have joined Yuuri. Regardless, he finishes by putting the guards on his skates, finds his towel, strips and occupies the shower next to Yuuri. They are separated by a wall, although their heads easily peak up over the top.

"I thought you were going to join me here," Yuuri teases, and Viktor is tempted to leave his cubicle and just join Yuuri, but pride gets the better of him.

"I thought it best to avoid distractions," he says, looking away from Yuuri as he washes his hair.

"Says the person who was ogling my ass a few minutes ago." Viktor splashes Yuuri's face with water.

Freshly showered and dressed, they exit the rink together and are unsurprisingly met by another hoard of reporters. They silently decide to do the interviews separately this time, and Viktor focuses his attention on the journalists in front of him.

"Nikiforov," someone asks in English, he can't place the accent, but they aren't American, "Sources say that you had a hard time during practice. Do you think stamina will be an issue for you?"

"I am simply a little tired from my flight," Viktor explains, "After a good night's rest I will be ready to give it my all."

"Rumours say that you are changing your jump layout again," a Russian reporter says, "Can you confirm?"

"Rumours aren't a good source of information," Viktor merely comments. He doesn't want to lie, but it's no fun to just say yes.

Someone else begins a question, but Viktor's phone vibrates again and he glances at the message. It's from Yuuri.

They want me to do an interview with some of the other skaters. Find us a place to eat dinner, and I'll meet you there in two hours.

Viktor sighs as he sees Yuuri getting swallowed by the crowd of reporters, and taken somewhere else. Viktor returns his attention towards the journalists, and answers a couple more of their questions. There are mostly Russians in the crowd, and they all want to know how good his chances are of medaling as they ask about his condition, training regiment and one reporter even asks about his diet.

The whole ordeal is only about twenty minutes long, since Viktor is pretty tired and the Russian reporters don't want to keep their athlete for longer if it affects his health. For that, Viktor is grateful.

There are various places to eat in the village and on his way to the Russian house, Viktor spots an asian looking restaurant. He sends a picture and a location to Yuuri so that they can meet there later. Viktor knows that Yuuri will appreciate a good bowl of rice to get a sense of familiarity, and he could honestly use a reminder of Japan himself. It is definitely better than eating at the overly crowded McDonald's which seems to have attracted more athletes than Viktor feels it should have.

Back in his room, Viktor decides that he wants to find whatever interview Yuuri is giving and goes to one of the Yuuri fan blogs, which usually posts that sort of information. It doesn't even take Viktor two minutes to find a link to site that streams the entire thing live.

Yuuri is sitting in a studio with both Minami and Takuya. There are two hosts - a man and a woman - and the man seems to be laughing at something that was said before Viktor tuned in. The three skaters are all wearing their white Mizuno jackets and blue pants.

"And what about you two," the female host says and looks towards Minami and Takuya, "Do you also feel the pressure of the Olympics? It is afterall your first time here."

"I think Katsuki-san is taking all of the pressure and attention from us," Takuya laughs lightly, "I just feel lucky to be here."

"You won your spot," Yuuri intervenes, "It's not luck that you are here."

"Thank you, Katsuki-san," Takuya beams and the hosts look somewhat surprised - possibly exaggerating their emotions for the sake of the audience.

"Such nice words from senpai!" The male host exclaims, "This is why everyone looks up to Katsuki-senshu!"

Yuuri laughs shyly, "I doubt that many look up to me." (Viktor mentally shakes his head.)

"Well," The woman interrupts, "Let's move onto the fanmail section and perhaps Katsuki-senshu will see just how many people look up to him."

The next ten minutes is spent reading some fanmail (mostly addressed to Yuuri) and Viktor can see Yuuri's cheeks and ears grow redder with each compliment and wish of good luck thrown his way.

"This next one is from Yukino who is in high school. She wants to know what motivates the three of you. Additionally, she is asking Katsuki-senshu how to get the man of her dreams."

Yuuri laughs shyly again as he hears the last part, and so does Viktor. And honestly, he is quite curious as to what Yuuri will answer. If they were in a friendly setting and not being recorded, Yuuri would probably have made a joke about getting drunk, but he definitely won't say anything like that on live tv.

"I don't think I have much advice to give on the last part," Yuuri says, smiling but definitely fighting an urge to hide under a table somewhere, "I suppose talking to whoever you like is a good first step." (Viktor scoffs. That was not really what Yuuri did. Or what he did for that matter.)

"As for my motivation," Yuuri says, the red on his cheeks slowly fading, "I love skating, and I have always been a very competitive person. And of course there is the chance of beating Viktor. That's always an intriguing opportunity."

"Are you and Viktor competitive with each other?" The man asks (Viktor really wants someone to use their names).

"At times," Yuuri says, and Viktor can see the signs of Yuuri slowly forgetting the setting he is in. It happens sometimes when he eats good food, but mostly when he's sleepy, "Outside of skating, Viktor isn't a very competitive person, but we have settled more than a handful of arguments through bets and competitions."

"Well, I would imagine it would be tiring to compete all the time," the woman remarks and then turns her attention to Minami, who is sitting between Yuuri and Takuya, "But going back to the question, what would you say your motivation is?"

"I want to be Yuuri-kun's equal!" Minami says enthusiastically, "I always looked up to Yuuri-kun, and I always wanted to able to skate like he does."

Yuuri's ears are burning red by now and Viktor quickly takes a screenshot. It's Takuya's turn to answer the question.

"I suppose my answer is kind of like Minami's," he says forlornly, "I got interested in competitive skating after watching how people like Katsuki-san and Viktor Nikiforov skate. Although recently, I would like to help let the sport grow. I was very inspired by Katsuki-san's words at Worlds, where he talked about the future of the sport."

Viktor smiles proudly at that. Yuuri had been able to touch someone's heart and let his inspiration grow to others, who could help him let the sport flourish. The interview ends with the hosts thanking the athletes, and Viktor stops the stream as it cuts to a segment about skiing.

Viktor turns to Twitter. There's still an hour left until they've agreed to meet up for dinner, so there's not much else for him to do. He goes to his mentions.

 **Swanvitya** #v-nikiforov yuuri says 'talk to your crush' but i refuse to believe that's what happened we've all seen chris' throwback photos

Viktor chuckles and decides to tease his fans a little.

 **Viktor Nikiforov** #swanvitya correction, you've seen some of the photos

The replies on the tweet are a combination of people losing their shit and people demanding an explanation which Viktor won't give them. Chris had graciously posted only a select few of his and Yuuri's pole dancing adventures. The only photo actually featuring Yuuri is one where he is still wearing a shirt. When Viktor had commented that it had been a very memorable night, people had started putting things together, as it was the only competition that year which both him and Yuuri had attended, and therefore had to have been where they first connected. After all, there was no way Viktor had actually flown all the way to Japan just based on a video. Viktor and Yuuri have both decided to never confirm or deny any rumours. First of all, it's their business, and secondly, seeing all the wild theories is a lot of fun. Even Yuuri enjoys reading through the hilarious imaginations of how they first met and fell in love.

 **Cup of Kisses** You guys! Yuuri mentioned that Viktor actually WROTE the song for his exhibition! What if Viktor is skating to a song he made in the gala? v-nikiforov I believe in you!

The tweet interests Viktor, not because of the remark itself, but because of the intense discussion that had followed.

 **fairyvitya** #cupofkisses then you haven't paid attention to viktor this season at all! He's clearly been doing throwback programs this whole season. I bet he'll skate to fallen angel at the gala.

 **catsudon** #cupofkisses #fairyvitya i think it's fairly obvious that Viktor and Yuuri will skate together. I mean, they've done it for all major competitions since barcelona

 **fairyvitya** #cupofkisses #catsudon they could do that for Yuuri's ex, i don't see why it should be viktor's

 **axelyuuri** #cupofkisses #fairyvitya #catsudon it would make no sense for Yuuri not to skate his new ex at owg if they skate together, it will be during viktor's ex sorry i don't make the rules

 **quadloop** #cupofkisses am i the only who wants to see viktuuri skate with their cat son? No? Just me?

Viktor tries his hardest to not reply, but he does like every single one of the tweets in the thread just to confuse them. This is why Viktor loves his fans. The press is always looking for competition and rivalry and all of those things that pit people against each other, but the fans. The fans wonder what will happen outside of the competition. They support them regardless of placement and discuss patterns and meanings behind the choices they make.

Viktor replies to a couple more tweets mostly regarding non-competition related things before heading out to meet with Yuuri at the restaurant. It turns out that Yuuri got there first, and has been joined by the enthusiastic duo of Phichit and JJ.

"I already ordered for you," Yuuri says as Viktor sits down beside him. They are in a booth, with Phichit and JJ sitting opposite them. In the middle is small heating device so that they can grill and fry the food that arrives themselves.

"Thanks," Viktor says and kisses Yuuri sweetly. Phichit and JJ both whistle as they do so, and Yuuri flings a menu in their general direction, causing them to try and dodge it by smashing into each other. Viktor and Yuuri both burst out laughing.

"Are you excited for the opening ceremony?" JJ asks Phichit and gets a mixed response from him.

"The flag is so big!" He exclaims and gestures wildly with his arms, JJ barely escaping the dramatic gestures as he ducks out of the way, "Yesterday, I woke up because I dreamt that I dropped the flag, so I tried to google how many people have dropped the flag, but there were no results! That means no one has dropped it! What if I'm the first?" Phichit wallows dramatically, and sinks down to the table to fake cry.

"I'm sure you won't drop it Phichit," Yuuri tries to assure him, but Phichit just looks up at him sadly (or as sadly as Phichit can fake looking).

"It's twice my size! Figure skaters have weak arms!"

"I'm sure it's not that big." "Yuuri is strong enough to carry Viktor though." Yuuri and JJ say at the same time and Phichit perks up, his sorrows forgotten and looking intensely at Yuuri.

"I cannot believe that you only let Yurio document that! We only got a picture from behind!"

"I wasn't stopping anyone from taking pictures," Yuuri says nonchalantly, "I'm sure some of the photographers got plenty of pictures."

"They didn't! Yurio was the only one who got a decent photo."

"Yuuri could always carry me back to the house," Viktor says and leans closer to Yuuri, looking up at him hopefully.

"You are hopeless, and fully capable of walking back by yourself. Didn't we agree that we shouldn't spend that much time together?"

Viktor pouts. He hates when Yuuri is right about stuff like this.

"Wow, wait," JJ says and puts up his hands to visualize halting the conversation, "Why won't you spent time together? You are usually so inseparable during competitions. Surely the ban can't stop you from seeing each other."

"We're just being careful," Yuuri explains, "We'd rather not risk anything, than have Viktor disqualified just for being too close to me. We kind of agreed to not be seen together in public, unless we are with other people."

"So we are like witnesses," JJ confirms.

"Essentially, yes."

"And here I thought you just enjoyed our company," Phichit fake sobs and wipes away an imaginary tear.

Yuuri sighs, "I am surrounded by drama queens."

Despite everything, the four of them still enjoy dinner together, and afterwards, they all set off in different directions. They only have a couple of days left to prepare, and they need all the rest they can get.

* * *

Viktor thinks that Yuuri is too calm in the last days leading up to the Team Event. He's had thoughts like this before - his mind reminding him of Skate America - but that had been a grand prix qualifier. This was the Olympics. Anyone would be a little nervous, Viktor is a little nervous, but Yuuri is all smiles and carefree laughter, and Viktor thinks that he is deflecting. And that cannot be good. It's their last practice on the day before it all begins, and Viktor pulls Yuuri to the side as Yuuri is about to begin his cool down, while Viktor is about to start warming up - the first part of the day the rink had been reserved for the skaters participating the Team Event, while the late afternoon and evening was reserved for those who weren't participating.

"Are you okay?" Viktor asks concerned, and Yuuri just smiles up at him.

"Are you getting nervous again, because I'm not anxious?"

"Yuuri," Viktor pleads, "It's not… Just tell me if you need anything okay?"

"I will. I promise." Yuuri leans up to steal a kiss and waves goodbye as he leaves for the changing rooms.

Viktor goes through practice rather mindlessly, barely listening to Yakov's advice and instructions. Eventually, he has to go through his short program, but decides to not do any of the jumps. He does pull himself together enough to implement the few changes he has made to his short program. It's not much, just a different pattern in the step sequence, which will lead his ending pose to be in a different place than beforehand. It's another change he hasn't talked through with Yakov, but at this point his coach has more pressing matters to discuss with him.

"Worrying over Katsuki won't do any good," his coach says sternly, and Viktor can only nod.

He leaves practice earlier than the others, and he sees Chris eye him as he begins his cool down, but he doesn't say anything. For that, Viktor is grateful.

Yuuri had plans to eat with some of the other Japanese skaters, so Viktor finds himself in the cafeteria, where he is joined by Yurio. Viktor half expected some snarky remark from him about how lonely he looked or something like that, but is surprised when Yurio says nothing like that.

"Is it always like this?" Yurio asks after a while, and Viktor silently asks him to elaborate, "This much attention? Pressure?" Yurio continues, "I swear I have been spending more time giving interviews than skating."

"It takes some getting used to," Viktor says, "Although I think you are getting more attention than I did at my first Olympics, being the flag bearer and all that."

"Don't remind me," Yurio groans and Viktor smiles a little.

"Not looking forward to it?" Viktor teases, trying to cheer his companion up.

"I am, but it's not like I've been training to wave a flag. I'm a figure skater! We have weak arms."

Viktor laughs, "Phichit said the same thing. But you shouldn't worry about it. I've seen you carry Makkachin around and I'm sure a flag that doesn't try to lick you all the time should be manageable."

"For once I hope you are right."

They enjoy the rest of their meal by discussing how annoying and unoriginal Russian journalists are with their questions.

* * *

Viktor finds that he can't sleep that night. He usually did not have a problem with sleeping before a competition (hell, he wasn't even competing tomorrow), but his mind kept going to Yuuri and how he couldn't be there by the rinkside or in the Kiss & Cry. Viktor had gone to bed rather early, which means that though he has been tossing and turning for more than two hours, it's still not midnight. Which means that Yuuri isn't asleep. He opens up their messages and writes to Yuuri without any context. He's sure his finacé will understand.

 _-Do you always feel like this?_

 _-Like my heart will leap from my chest and my mind is going in circles imagining all the things that could possibly go wrong? Not always, just more than most people. Are you okay?_

 _-It feels wrong that I can't be with you tomorrow._

 _-Yeah... I try not to think about it._

 _-Not the best strategy, love. I said we should talk._

 _-I know, but I don't think I have time for a breakdown._

Viktor tries to think of what he can say to ease both of their minds. He comes up with nothing.

- _If you could do anything you wanted right now, what would you do?_

 _-I'd kiss you._

 _-Yuuri! Be serious_

 _-Haha. I mean it though. I used to have so many different ways to cope with my anxiety. Now I can usually cuddle you and it helps._

 _-Not always though._

Viktor writes the last part almost without thinking, but since he can't go to Yuuri right now, he needs some other advice.

 _-No, not always. If love was a magic cure, anxiety would be less common._

 _-So what do you do then? When you don't need me?_

-Depends. I used to skate, but sometimes I can't do that. Music is good too. I'll make a playlist for you, I'm not tired yet.

 _-You should still sleep though. Big day tomorrow._

 _-I will. Love you._

 _-Love you too_.

Viktor isn't nervous often, and perhaps that's why he doesn't quite know how to deal with it. In Sochi, the nerves had crept up on him slowly and, finally, before the free skate, when he had heard the chants of his name from the warm-up area, he had broken. He had taken his headphones and turned up the volume as high as it would go and just played the first song that popped up. He had closed his eyes and sat down in a corner, trying to push everything out of his mind until Yakov had told him it was time. It had been the worst moment of his career, yet his gold from that Olympics was his proudest. He had told himself that if he could win feeling like that, he could win anything.

Viktor's phone lights up as Yuuri sends him a link to a playlist. Viktor puts in his earphone and tries to fall asleep to the lulling sound of Yuuri's favorite piano music.

* * *

The Team Event takes place extremely early in the morning, or, well, it takes place at ten in the morning, but between the warm-ups and pre-interviews and everything else, Viktor has to get up long before the sun rises over the horizon.

Viktor wears the Russian team uniform, brings along only the bare essentials as he won't have time for practice today. As he arrives at the rink two hours before the event is set to begin, he is cornered by reporters of all nationalities who want his predictions for the short program. Viktor only smiles and says he just hopes everyone skates well.

Viktor doesn't get to see Yuuri at all, and can only text him and hope that Yuuri finds time to read his wishes of good luck. About half an hour before the event begins, Viktor goes to the Team Russia booth, which has been set up to allow a sense of Team Competition instead of the usual Kiss & Cry, and Viktor settles in the corner of the booth, squished in between Georgi and Team Korea. The Japanese booth is just on the other side of the Korean one, but of course Yuuri will be warming up now, so he isn't there. Viktor spots Minami tying a bandana around his head and Georgi nudges Viktor to hand him some flags. And pushing Yuuri out of his mind, Viktor takes a selfie with Georgi, both holding up their flags and smiling brightly.

* * *

 **v-nikiforov**

[image]

Liked by **phichit+chu** , **christophe-gc** and **283** others

 **v-nikiforov** Go Russia! #PyeongChang2018

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 **teamrussia** all best wishes to Yuri Plisetsky! His short program rocks!

 **makkafan** do you have a japanese flag too?

 **phichit+chu** can i crash your booth i'm lonely in the stands

 **christophe-gc** # **phichit+chu** where are you i can keep you company

JUST NOW

* * *

It is not long after that Mila and one of the Russian ice dance pairs join them, and Mila of course needs a selfie as well for her social media. Viktor occupies himself with scrolling through his feed until the first group of skaters enter the rink for warm-up. In the center of attention is of course Seung-gil. Viktor feels like he did when Yurio ended the short program at Europeans: despite knowing that a random draw and world standing decide the skating order, it cannot be coincidence that Seung-gil will be the first to skate. It is unsurprising to see the amount of Korean flags that go up as Seung-gil is introduced, and the cheers for him are so loud that Viktor almost feels bad for the poor German skater who is introduced next. Viktor cheers for all of them, being a good sportsman and wanting to support everyone, but he is saving his biggest cheers for Yuuri and Yurio.

Since the team event only has ten countries participating, each group only has five skaters, which is how Seung-gil, despite his rising world ranking, has ended up in the first group. Joining him in the first group despite having a lot of expectations riding on him is Leo. Team America is expected to be in the running for a medal, having good skaters across all four categories, and wanting to give themselves the best chance of getting on the podium, Leo had been chosen to skate both the short program and free skate.

The booth beside Viktor cheers loudly again (as does the audience) as the warm-up ends and only Seung-gil remains on the ice. This is where the Games begin. Seung-gil takes his starting position, standing sideways from the judges, but looking directly at them, his hands clasped before him, making a finger gun. As the familiar James Bond music fills the arena, Seung-gil moves to shoot the judges before he skates, already entering the steps leading up to his first jump; his signature quad loop. It doesn't surprise Viktor that he lands it. If he was Seung-gil's coach, he'd be more worried about the combination.

There is a often a pattern to be found in men's figure skating now that the quads have taken over the sport. The skaters will often plan their combination early, so that if it doesn't work out the first time, they have a second chance. Viktor always set Yuuri's programs up that way to take some of the pressure away from the combination jump. Viktor found that Yuuri's success rate improved when he had a combination early on.

But there was also a pattern in that when a skater introduced a new and more difficult jump, it would usually be the first element, and while Seung-gil had a stable quad loop, he had never attempted it in combination possibly because his other quads were still more reliable. So Seung-gil only had one chance at this combination.

The planned quad-triple unfortunately does not go entirely as planned, and when the quad is popped into a triple, Seung-gil has no choice but to put a double on the end of it. It's a shame, but Seung-gil gets through the rest of the program just fine, engaging the audience and dazzling them with a triple axel. He ends his program by kneeling down on one knee, his hands forming a gun again and looking challenging at the judges.

The score will be good enough, Viktor thinks as Seung-gil is shuffled into the Korean booth which doubles as his Kiss & Cry. The scores don't really matter as much as in the individual, so it's about beating enough people. Given the pressure of the competition, Viktor is fully expecting this event to be filled with mistakes (he just prays that Yuuri will go through without too much trouble). Seung-gil's score is quite far below his season's best, but he seems satisfied enough and it truly was a great way to open the Olympics. Viktor was thoroughly entertained throughout the entire program.

Next is a skater from Germany. He doesn't have a quad, and when he falls on his triple lutz attempt, any chance of getting close to Seung-gil's score slips away. Then comes France and a skater who attempts a quad salchow, but also falls. He beats the German narrowly. The Italian skater is the youngest in the event save for Yurio, and he's freshly out of Juniors. His style is quite reminiscent of Phichit, though he lacks the fundamental skating skills Phichit earns so many points on. He also doesn't have a quad, but four flawless triples puts him in second place.

Viktor takes a breath as Leo enters the rink. He is utterly in love with this short program, and would love for nothing more than to talk to Leo about how he came up with it, because Viktor doesn't think he could have made something like that ever. It is fun and playful, but shows great skill and control of both his blades and the audience. Everyone is singing along to the famous musical number from the first word, and Viktor gets drawn in as well. This, perhaps, is the one advantage he has to not being a coach today. He gets to simply sit back and enjoy the skating without worrying about himself or how to encourage Yuuri. It is rather liberating, although Viktor sees as the second group appears on the rink-side and suddenly longs to stand beside Yakov, in a place where he could talk to Yuuri and tell him to just breathe and skate for him.

Leo easily takes second place and the second group is called to the ice for introduction. Yuuri is introduced second, right after Michele, and Viktor can't read his expression. He rarely can during the six minute warm-up. Yuuri looks... he wouldn't say tense, but he also doesn't look like he isn't tense. He looks like he's trying to concentrate and not pay too much attention to what's happening around him, other than avoiding skating into people. That seems to be as far as his attention goes.

As they skate around, the skaters are given a more thorough introduction.

"Yuuri Katsuki," The announcer says rather monotonously, as the monitor shows Yuuri warming up, "Is the 2017 world championship gold medalist and the 2017 grand prix final gold medalist. He trains in Saint Petersburg under coach Yakov Feltsman." Viktor frowns slightly, and Georgi elbows him lightly, and he puts on a smile again. As the monitor shows Yuuri, he does a triple axel (always a good jump for Yuuri to complete during warm-up) and the rink cheers loudly – Viktor thinks it's louder than it should have been for a warm-up jump. But as he scans the rink, the Korean flags have been mostly replaced with Japanese ones, and Viktor sees a particularly big banner (it takes five people to hold it up) with Yuuri's name as well as his silhouette in the pose of an ina bauer. And it is far from the only Yuuri banner in the rink. Now that Viktor is actually looking around, he sees that almost half of the banners hanging off of the railings show support to Yuuri in some way. Whether it's a banner in support of just Yuuri, Yuuri as part of Team Yakov or Team Japan, or Viktor and Yuuri together, they are there, and they fill the rink. Viktor isn't in a position where he can get a good photo, but as soon as the event is over, he'll take a picture of every single banner he can find. Fans will often write little messages on the banners, and Viktor would like for Yuuri to see them, since he doubts his idiot fiancé would look for them himself. It reminds Viktor that he should put up the banner from the people in Hasetsu, and he fishes it out of his bag.

"What's that?" Mila asks, and Viktor merely unfold the banner to show it to her, "How sweet!" She exclaims, "But I don't think we're allowed to cheer for other countries."

"I know," Viktor smiles and stands up. Right above their booth is a group of fans, and Viktor quickly finds the ones with Japanese flags in their hands.

"Hey," he says to get their attention, and they all gasps in surprise as they realize that they have Viktor Nikiforov's attention, "Could you help me put this up," he says and waves the banner slightly. They take it and tie it neatly to the railing above Team Japan's booth. Viktor promises them autographs and selfies as a thank you, but they will have to wait after the competition. The warm-up is over.

Mickey gets a couple of words of encouragement from his coach and off he goes. He starts at center ice, one hand on his hip and the other above his head, his arm curving slightly. As the familiar notes of Gypsy Dance begin he pivots around his foot before setting off. The program is fast from the beginning, and the speed helps him complete his opening quad toe without any problem. The triple axel that follows is equally as good, and the audience begins clapping along to the music as he enters his first spin. The combination becomes an issue, as Mickey struggles with the landing of the triple lutz, and he has to put a toe loop on the end of it instead of a loop. That too gives him trouble and he barely keeps his hands off of the ice. He shakes off the mistake in the step sequence, getting the audience fired up again, the final element making people rise to their feet in applause as the program ends with Mickey in the same pose as he was at the top of the program.

As Mickey exits the rink, Yuuri carefully enters it, avoiding the flower girls and boys picking up the few presents thrown at the rink. Yuuri is careful in his warm-up and Viktor doesn't take that as a good sign. Yuuri thankfully doesn't fall once during his little warm-up, but he does stumble on both of his quad flip attempts. Yuuri skates to the barrier to drink as Mickey gets his score, and Viktor sees Yuuri fiddle with the Makkachin tissue-holder, possibly to comfort himself.

Viktor barely registers Mickey's scores, he just takes note of it going above Seung-gil and putting him in first. Judging by the mistakes, Viktor thinks that it would have been a couple of points under one hundred, a score Yuuri could easily beat even with a mediocre skate, but Yuuri rarely has mediocre skates. Sometimes Viktor thinks Yuuri can only skate badly or set a world record. There is nothing in between.

Yuuri rolls his head as his name is announced and greets the audience. Viktor cheers loudly, hoping his voice will reach Yuuri. He hears his teammates cheer for Yuuri as well. As Yuuri takes his position on the ice, the rink goes silent and the careful notes of the piano plays in the rink, Yuuri standing still on center ice. Viktor can see Yuuri still taking steadying breaths, not nearly as calm as he had been when previously performing this program. But his head moves at the right note, his eyes blinking open as he slides into the first figure, holding it for a long second, before gaining speed. A series of steps lead into the spread eagle entrance Yuuri uses for his opening triple axel, the jump is big and landed perfectly as Yuuri immediately opens his body to exit the jump with another spread eagle. He slides his arms over his body and rests them above his head as the music increases slightly in tempo, utilizing his musicality and ability to become one with the music.

He glides easily into the spins, and Viktor feels himself calm down as Yuuri moves with ease across the ice. Yuuri has plenty of experience competing in high-level competition, while under pressure. He can get through this just fine.

Viktor's heart speeds up again as Yuuri is to enter his quad flip. He had issues with it in the warm-up and Viktor knows that that will be on his mind as he goes into it. And like in the warm-up, Yuuri stumbles on the landing, and doesn't even attempt the combination. It's okay, Viktor tells himself, this is why they have the combination planned first, to give Yuuri a second chance. Yuuri's quad toe is more stable anyway, and Viktor feels more confident about it than he had the flip.

The jump has both speed, height and stability in the air, so, by all means, nothing should go wrong. Of course, that means nothing to Yuuri, because he still stumbles on the landing, putting his hands on the ice to keep from falling, and unable to complete the combination. Viktor shakes it from his mind and cheers Yuuri on as he enters the step sequence. This is where Viktor can see that despite the mistakes, Yuuri has grown much stronger. There is a sense of determination as Yuuri performs his steps, and though the mistake on the last jump sent him slightly out of sync with the music, he quickly remedies it, almost effortlessly altering the beginning of it to match the music, but without skipping a single step that would cause him to lose points in the step sequence. The final spin starts right on the music, and Yuuri ends the program by closing his hands just as the music ends, silencing the entire rink with it.

The applause that follows is loud, but Yuuri is visibly disappointed with himself. He tries to smile as he bows for the audience, but unlike Viktor, Yuuri has yet to master the fake smiling, so he hides nothing. Viktor tries to shout his encouragement again as Yuuri settles with his team, but the fans above them are louder than him, and Yuuri only briefly looks in his direction before turning his attention elsewhere.

Yuuri's score isn't enough to take the lead, and it is just short of overtaking Seung-gil as well. Yuuri frowns as he looks at his placement, but tries to shake it off as he claps for Guang-Hong who is up next.

Guang-Hong is visible overwhelmed by the situation, although not necessarily in a way that makes Viktor think that it will all go horribly wrong. His opening quad is well executed, and possibly helps settles his nerves. The triple axel in second half doesn't get the height Guang-Hong usually manages, and Viktor thinks that he has perhaps used his energy in the first half to keep himself under control. The triple flip-triple toe combination is better, but again lacking height.

Guang-Hong keeps it together well, although to the skaters who know what to look for, Guang-Hong is losing concentration and is skipping steps, and losing points slowly. It was good for him to compete in the Team Event, Viktor acknowledges, as it will help ground him for the individual competition. There isn't too much pressure on China to do well with both their ladies and ice dancers not ranking very high.

Guang-Hong places under Yuuri by a small margin, and Viktor knows that if had received level fours all his elements, it wouldn't have been so. But it's a thought for another time, because this event is also a trial for Yuuri, and Viktor won't put any more weight on the results than needed.

The crowd chants JJ's name as he takes the ice, and explodes as the music plays, singing along enthusiastically. JJ has a fun layout this season, starting his routine with a spin which moves into the step sequence. It helps establish the tone of the program and makes it very engaging. The pressure on JJ to do well is immense, and though there is a lot of energy going into it, JJ's quad lutz is popped into a triple. It's a shame, but JJ seems determined to not fall apart and completes his quad-triple combination much better. The highlight, however, is the triple axel which marks the best of his jumping passes. The crowd cheer loudly as the jump is landed, and don't quiet down even as he enters his spins, and ending his program. He takes the lead.

And then Yurio, the last skater of the men's short program. Yurio is calm as he takes the ice, and Viktor thinks that the kitten is probably more worried about tonight's ceremony than this short program. If he has been following the competition, he should know that there is no real pressure. No one has delivered their best performance, and Viktor is quite certain than Yurio could scrap the quads and still win. Of course, that wouldn't be something he would do.

Yurio's calm expression changes as he takes his starting position, looking determined and ready to blow everyone away with a great performance. The music starts and Yurio smirks, getting into character. He is focused as he readies himself for the opening quad loop. It has been getting more consistent throughout the season, and it doesn't fail him here. If Viktor was a judge he would have awarded him full points for the loop. It is much better than his own version of it. Yurio's spin that follows is incredibly fast, even as he enters the biellmann variation – unlike Viktor's current version of that same move.

The combination is surprising. Yurio has everything under control, the quad salchow never failing him, but despite the perfect jump and the perfect landing, Yurio puts a triple toe on the end of it, instead of the planned triple loop. There is no hint in Yurio's face suggesting that it was a mistake, so Viktor can only wonder why it was changed and when he had made that decision. Regardless, it's still a beautiful jumping pass. Again, Viktor would award it a full score, and he doesn't think it's because he is biased in the slightest.

Entering the second half, Yurio secures the performance of the morning as he completes his triple axel in style, moving straight into the step sequence, which is full of speed and interaction. The crowd is hyped and even as Yurio skates past them, they all get drawn into the performance and cheer even louder for him. The final combination spin is also impossibly fast and when Yurio ends his performance he does a little jump of excitement, and smiles giddily, thanking the audience.

They all congratulate him as he comes to their booth, and Mila drapes the Russian flag around his shoulders, Yurio proudly holding it above his head as they appear on the monitor. The score goes well over one hundred points, and they all cheer and ruffle his hair as they secure their ten points for Russia.

There is a short intermission before the short program for the pairs begin, and Viktor takes the chance to go to Yuuri. He doesn't even get to say hello before Yuuri just groans. Viktor comforts himself by saying it could be worse. He could be crying. Yuuri isn't crying. That's a win.

"It could have been worse," Viktor says out loud and instantly regrets it. He should have said something about the triple axel or the step sequence, or anything that sounded less... like that.

Yuuri glares at him, but he isn't angry like he sometimes is when he is disappointed with himself. It's a little closer to the way Yuuri glares at him when Viktor said something dumb and Yuuri is just on the verge of tears.

"Sorry," Viktor says quickly, "I didn't mean it like that."

"Of course you didn't," Yuuri snarls, clearly not believing him, "It's just the Team Event, there isn't even that much pressure for me to do well, and I just, my jumps felt wrong. Heavy. Like every time someone looked at me my legs got heavier. What am I going to do when it counts? It's never felt like this before," Yuuri takes a sharp breath, something he does when he doesn't want to cry.

There are people all around them, and Viktor doesn't know what to do. He wants to comfort Yuuri, but he doesn't know if he wants that, so if he hugs him, he could make it all worse. Instead he just takes Yuuri's hand and they go to a corner of the rink where no cameras can reach them. Yuuri slumps against his chest and Viktor takes him into his arms. Yuuri doesn't hug him back, he just stays there, unmoving, no tears falling.

"I'll do better next week," Yuuri says, determination slowly returning to his voice, "If you're there, I can do better."

Viktor kisses the top of his head, "I believe in you."

* * *

As the pairs' event begin, the two of them go back to their teams to cheer the skaters on. Viktor only gives the event half of his attention, clapping whenever an element is executed well and cheering when they aren't. The rest of his attention is on Yuuri. They've had their trial, and now they need to use the information they got from it. Yuuri is clearly frustrated with the results, but he didn't break. His mistakes also had less impact on his performance than when he had missed jumps in the past, and his triple axel seems to be perfect regardless of how Yuuri is feeling.

What Yuuri had needed during the short program was Viktor's presence. In the individual event, they will both skate in the last group, giving them more room to interact with each other and hopefully allow Viktor to give Yuuri the support he needs. Of course, the pressure of the Olympics was there as well, but Viktor thinks that Yuuri can handle it. Something in the back of Viktor's mind knows that the pressure Yuuri feels comes from a place of not wanting to disappoint. He believes that he can do it, Yuuri had always known that he has the ability, but he's afraid of letting people down. Viktor needs to find a way to show Yuuri that all of the pressure he is feeling is just what he is putting on himself. People expect him to do well, that is certainly true, but hardly anyone would be disappointed with him if should end up not winning. That's not how Yuuri's fanbase works.

After the pairs, Canada is in the lead, only two points ahead of Russia, while China is a little further behind in third. The standings are more or less how everyone expected them be after the first day.

Viktor catches Yuuri shortly after the event (he needed to make good on his promise for selfies and autographs first), and they decide to ignore the reporters in favor of some lunch. Viktor practically drags Yuuri along with him, not because Yuuri doesn't want to go with him, but because Viktor is determined to not let anything distract Yuuri until they've reached their destination.

As they order food, Viktor texts Mila (hoping that she is still at the rink) and asks for a favor. He looks up from his phone, not wanting to be rude, but finds that Yuuri is also sitting with his, his eyes showing that he is reading. Yuuri's face is completely blank as he reads, but Viktor has a nagging feeling. It's probably because he knows Yuuri as well as he does. He takes the phone from his fiancé.

"Hey!" Yuuri exclaims, but Viktor ignores him to see what Yuuri was reading.

* * *

 **Katsuki disappoints in PyeongChang**

The favorite to win the gold at these Winter Olympics in Men's Single Figure Skating takes a blow as he finishes fifth after the Team Short, where not even all of his main rivals are competing. Notable figures as Christophe Giacometti, Phichit Chulanont and Viktor Nikiforov won't be competing until the individual event next week, and Katsuki will not be able to beat them with the display he put on just a few hours ago. While it was always well-known that Katsuki struggles with nerves during competitions, it seemed that it was forgotten as he began to win event after event. But perhaps we should have seen this coming after his silver-medal finish at last months Four Continents. Katsuki-

* * *

Viktor stops reading and looks at Yuuri as if he had just caught him stealing all the cookies.

"Every time Yuuri," he says, and Yuuri looks away from him, an offended pout forming on his face, "Why do you always do this?"

"I just want to know what people are saying."

"That's a lie and you know it. There were plenty of positive articles and you chose the only one that agreed with your negative mind," Viktor shakes his head, "I'm confiscating your phone."

"You're not my mom," Yuuri says and crosses his arms.

"No, I'm your-" Viktor has to stop himself from saying coach, "-fiancé. And I just want what's best for you. And this is not good for you."

Just as he says that, his phone lights up with a message from Mila, and he hopes she got him what he needed. The pictures are attached with the message: you owe me one :P

"Look at this instead," Viktor says and gives Yuuri his phone. Yuuri takes the phone reluctantly and scrolls through the pictures. At first he seems rather detached from them, but he slowly takes an interest and doesn't even notice as their food arrives.

Viktor let's Yuuri read through them as he eats, but has to stop himself when tears start forming in Yuuri's eyes. That was not the reaction he had been looking for. Yuuri notices Viktor's concern and explains.

"This one was just really touching," he says, and wipes away a stray tear. He hands Viktor the phone so that he can read it.

Viktor had asked Mila to take pictures of the banners for Yuuri and send them to him, but Mila hadn't stopped there. She had taken pictures of fans holding their banners and messages. The one that had caught Yuuri's interest was a message from a young woman. There were tow pictures. The first one was of the woman herself, posing in Yuuri's end pose from Yuri on Ice, wearing a blue dress with the same design as Yuuri's costume for that free skate. The second picture was a letter from her to Yuuri (Mila had written that she had the letter so Yuuri could get it when they met up at some point).

 _Dear Yuuri,_

 _I don't know how to explain my gratitude to you, or express what your existence means to me. I have followed figure skating for a long time, my younger sister being a skater herself, but it wasn't until a few years back that I began watching men's figure skating. I remember seeing you win bronze at the Four Continents all those years ago, and I was fascinated. I asked my sister if she knew of you, and she obviously did. She told me all about you, but I will always remember when she told me about your anxiety. I am a small-time singer, dreaming of one day making it big, but I have the worst stage fright (one time I was so nervous I threw up on stage), and I always felt like it was holding me back. But every time I see you compete, it gives me hope. It doesn't matter if you win or lose, just the fact that you never quit makes me believe that I can do it too. I came to the Olympics to watch you and I know that no matter what happens it will be worth it. I hope one day I can be as strong as you._

 _Sincerely, your biggest fan #yuuri-is-my-hero_

Viktor smiles as he reads the letter. It is incredibly touching and Viktor wants to give this woman the biggest hug, because this was exactly what Yuuri needed. Viktor had tried so many times to get this message across to Yuuri, but it never really had the desired effect.

"Thank you," Viktor hears Yuuri say, and looks up to find him smiling. Getting Yuuri on the podium suddenly seems easier.

* * *

They are separated again in during the opening ceremony, but it's okay. This is all in good fun, and they are both more focused on Yurio and Phichit who have both been dreading and looking forward to this moment. Russia has one of the biggest groups of people, but Viktor is lucky to be close to the front so that he can look at Yurio as he marches in front of him. Viktor takes a couple of photos of Yurio before they walk out, and livestreams their entire march to his instagram as they walk into the enormous arena. Yurio's worst fear doesn't come true and he waves their flag proudly as they walk.

Viktor has only just gotten settled in their designated seats as the Japanese flag bearer makes her appearance, her countrymen following closely by. He spots Yuuri in the middle of the group walking with Minami who also seems to be filming the entire thing. He hopes Yuuri is enjoying himself, but he can't quite read his expression from this distance.

Not long after the Japanese athletes are seated in the arena, the small group of Thai athletes enter. They only have three athletes competing in the Games, but a couple of family members have been permitted to walk with them. Phichit waves the flag proudly, also not dropping it as he had feared. Someone is filming behind him, and Viktor quickly checks his instagram to confirm that everything is in fact being streamed to Phichit's instagram.

The rest of the event is extremely enjoyable, and Viktor casts the worrying thoughts of competition out of his mind just for this one evening.

* * *

He doesn't get to see Yuuri after the ceremony, but texts him a good night kiss to let him know that he has gone back to sleep. Viktor's instagram is filled with pictures of the ceremony and he likes each and every one of them. He is particularly fond of the ones of Yurio and Phichit. The official ISU account has uploaded pictures of all the skaters who had the honor to carry the flag.

* * *

 **isufigureskating**

[photo series]

liked by **phichit+chu** , **katsudonyuuri** and **10.381** others

 **isufigureskating** We are proud of the figure skaters chosen as flag bearers during these Olympics... more

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 **icekitten** look at Yuri's bright smile! I live!

 **singleloop** don't mind me I'm so just saving all of these photos to my everything

 **mila-babicheva** I'm gonna hang that photo of Yuri in the rink

 **yuri-plisetsky** **mila-babicheva** to remind yourself of the dream you will never fulfill?

4 HOURS AGO

* * *

Viktor thinks that she will help Mila put up the photo. Yurio is smiling happily in the photo, which is taken just before they walked into the arena. He is wearing the official team Russian jacket and as are all the people standing behind him. His hair is loose and falling gentle over his shoulders, the top of his head covered with a beanie sporting the Russian colors. Viktor saves the photo onto his phone.

* * *

The next day has the rink reserved for short track speed skating, so Yuuri and Viktor meet up at the practice rink with the rest of Team Yakov. They don't talk much, having so many reporters and other passing officials monitor their every move, but Viktor lets nothing stand in his way from getting all the kisses he has missed out on.

By the end of the practice session, they are joined by Chris, who ignores his coach for a friendly chat with Viktor, who is slightly surprised by the approach. They are usually more competitive at this stage of a competition.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Viktor asks playfully as Chris skates up to him. They are standing on the opposite end of the rink of their coaches, just in case.

"You looked so sad, I thought my presence might lighten up your mood."

"Are you saying that you are shining?"

"Brightly."

Viktor chuckles, and Yuuri skates past them and gives them a look of teasing disapproval. Viktor and Chris both blow him a kiss.

"Our last Olympics," Chris says after a while and Viktor looks at him almost sadly.

"You're retiring?"

"Don't look at me like," Chris says and punches his shoulder lightly, "This isn't my last season. At least I don't want it to be, but I won't do another four years."

"Any plans?" Viktor asks curiously. Chris has often spoken of what he wanted to do when he retired, but it seems to change often. Chris is an adventurous person.

"I want to relax. Do some ice shows for a years time. After that? Who knows. I'll go where the wind takes me."

"Well," Viktor smiles, "You know where to find me."

Chris grins and starts his warm-up, while Viktor continues with what he was doing.

Viktor takes off a little earlier than Yuuri, who wants to stay to work on his short program. Viktor quickly mentions to Yakov that he shouldn't let Yuuri stay for too long, and his coach nods understandingly. Viktor doesn't make it past all the reporters before Yuuri sends him a message, canceling their lunch plans in favor of making a TV appearance. Viktor sighs, and a reporter catches him do so and asks about it. Viktor absentmindedly just tells her the truth, and an hour later, the news of 'how hard his love life is' is circling social media. As a punishment, Viktor avoids media for the rest of the day and occupies himself with watching Yuuri during his interview.

The show and hosts are the same as when Yuuri had made an appearance with Minami and Takuya, but Yuuri is alone this time, which shows in his tense shoulders.

"Katsuki-senshu," the male host begins (honestly, Viktor should learn their names), "You made your first appearance in the short program yesterday, but the result was not entirely what you wanted," in the background, a clip of Yuuri's disappointed reaction after his program is shows, "Is this due to the pressure put on you during these Olympics?"

"I won't lie and say that pressure has nothing to do with it," Yuuri begins, "But it is exactly because we anticipated this that I decided to compete in the Team Event. I believe that the six points I managed to bring to my team will be enough to get us into the free skate, which is the aim of our team. As for my own disappointment, I believe that an imperfect skate will do me good. I hope to improve for the individual event."

"You said the 'we decided'," the woman points out, "Could you clarify who made the decision." It is a somewhat stupid question since the answer should be obvious.

"The decision was made by me and my coach," Yuuri answers cleverly. Viktor had been the one to make the suggestion, but of course, Yuuri isn't allowed to acknowledge him as his coach and he couldn't quite say that his fiancé had told him to do it.

"So with the experience of the Team Event, what would you say your chances are in the individual event?"

"I came here to win," Yuuri says confidently, somewhat avoiding the question, "That hasn't changed."

"In order to win, you have to beat the reigning champion, Viktor Nikiforov," the woman points out, "Is it difficult to maintain a relationship with someone who is also your competitor?"

"No," Yuuri says quickly, and then smiles a little to himself, a blush creeping onto his face, "Having Viktor as my competitor doesn't affect our relationship. At least not in a bad way. If anything, the ban is what I would have loved to be without. The support I get from merely having Viktor close by is something that I am slowly learning how to deal with, and the Team Event helped me realize exactly what I needed to do now that he can't be by my side. But, as Viktor has said before, no one can stop him from being my fiancé or my competitor, so I think, in this case, I am grateful to be competing against him. It keeps him close." Yuuri bites his lip, slowly realizing how much he has said, and the blush reaches his ears. It's cute, Viktor thinks.

"You are very lucky to have him," the woman says, both hosts seemingly at a loss for words, and the man tries to compose himself as he moves onto a new topic.

"You are still quite young," he begins, "But all your fans are of course concerned about how much longer we will see you in competition. Especially if you should win gold at these games. Do you have any plans for the future?"

"There are always plans for the future," Yuuri says, glad to be changing topics, "But as for retirement, I haven't made a decision just yet. However, I will say that I have every intention to compete at next year's world championship."

"Well that is certainly good to hear," the woman beams, "I'm sure all your fans in Japan will look forward to seeing you skate at home for such a big competition."

Yuuri smiles and the show pauses for a commercial break. The following segment has Yuuri doing a bunch of weird activities, all vaguely related to figure skating. Viktor completely forgets about lunch as he watches his fiancé balance an egg on his head while spinning. He thinks Yuuri agreed to this purely to occupy his mind with something that wasn't competition. It definitely serves as a good distraction, but Yuuri should hold back on the media appearances after this.

* * *

The next two mornings, they settle in for the rest of the Team Event. They watch as both Japan and Russia make it through to the free skate. They watch as Georgi and JJ battle it out in the free skate, JJ winning and closing the gap between the two teams, all while Leo beats both Minami and Mickey, tying Italy and America for third place, while Japan gets pushed to fifth.

They watch as Sara gets ten points for Italy in the free skate, and they watch as Canada blows it out of the park in the final segment. Canada beats Russia by a mere two points to take gold, and USA rounds of the podium as they take bronze.

Viktor and Yuuri leave the rink together, but end up running into Yurio who is giving an interview. A particular question catch their attention, and they both stop in their tracks to hear Yurio's answer.

"You and Leroy are quite famous for your intense rivalry," a reporter asks, definitely exaggerating their not-quite-a-rivalry rivalry, which is mostly just based on JJ not understanding social cues and Yurio being an angsty teenager, "How does it feel to have him beat you in the Team Event?"

"I won the short program," Yurio responds surprisingly calmly, "I am proud of having helped my Team to a silver medal, but in the individual I will definitely win against JJ. I will use my win in the short program to build into my performance in a couple of days."

"Do you think the standing would have changed if you had skated in the free skate? You are the reining the national champion after all."

"There is no way of knowing that," Yurio says, clearly holding back from saying something inappropriate, "But I believe that if I had competed today, I would have jeopardized my chances in the individual event, as I am not yet in a place where I can keep up a competitive mindset for a prolonged amount of time."

"You are of course aiming for gold in the individual event," the reporter says rather dumbly, "Who would you deem your biggest rivals?"

"If you want to win, everyone is a threat, but I would like to beat Viktor, as my national title feels somewhat empty as I have yet to beat him in international competition. And of course, I train with Yuuri every day and his presence always motivates me to do my best."

Viktor looks at Yuuri who smiles fondly at Yurio before he lets Viktor drag him away from all the attention. It's still early and they only have three days until the men's individual event begins. The final preparations are about to begin.

* * *

 **Have I mentioned how much I hate that I can't format the social media stuff the way I want to? Cause I do. I hate it with passion and it looks so ugly! Regardless, I hope the chapter was worth the wait :)**


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